The Village of Stewart has road access once again, and it comes one day earlier than expected.
Openings for traffic on Hwy 37A started at 2 p.m., but will only be open during daylight hours due to construction, said the Ministry of Transportation in a press release this afternoon.
Earlier this week, road access had been tentatively scheduled for Friday at 4 p.m.
The eastbound openings for traffic leaving Stewart are 10km east of the town, with one scheduled for 2 p.m. and another at 4 p.m. Westbound openings into Stewart leave from the Meziadin junction and are scheduled for 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Pilot cars will be used to guide motorists along the road.
The ministry's Drive BC information cautions that delays can be expected.
"Given the extent of the damage, it's remarkable that crews have been able to accomplish so much over these past 10 days,” said transportation minister Blair Lekstrom in a press release. “There is still a lot of work to do.”
The ministry is asking motorists to drive with caution and pay attention to traffic control personnel as crews continue working on repairs.