The iconic Othello Tunnels are reopening for the first time in three years this summer, and Daily Hive got a preview of what the redesigned Coquihalla Canyon Provincial Park looks like.
The series of train tunnels and bridges were closed to the public following the 2021 atmospheric river floods. The deluge damaged all five of the historic tunnels and more than two dozen other sites in the park.
Daily Hive visited the site on Thursday with the Ministry of Environment to see first-hand what work has been done and what areas are still damaged from the historic floods.
Megan Devlin/Daily Hive
Due to the current safety concerns, the entrance to the tunnels was still blocked. However, the paths and roads leading up to the site have been deemed safe for limited access. Soon, the repairs will allow everyone to access the park from the parking lot to the end of the second tunnel.
Megan Devlin/Daily Hive
Megan Devlin/Daily Hive
Megan Devlin/Daily Hive
Restoration work has been underway since April at a cost of $4.5 million, which was primarily funded through the federal government. Now, BC’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy is ready to showcase its handiwork ahead of the partial re-opening in mid-July.
“My thoughts are that this is an incredibly beautiful place that people from British Columbia and elsewhere have been prevented from visiting for [three years]… So I’m really excited,” said George Heyman, BC’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy.
Adding that the construction is also making the site more resilient to future environmental events.
The work includes removing unstable soil along the slopes and tunnels and adding steel bars to help stabilize rocks and concrete when needed. Additionally, pinned mesh will be visible as it is added to the first tunnel to ensure debris does not fall onto visitors.
“Most of the money is coming from the federal govenrment’s disaster financial assistance program. We wanted to make a few improvements from BC Parks, so we’re putting about $70,000 to $100,000 into making it just that little bit better,” Heyman said.
People will be able to visit the park again and explore the parts that are now accessible; however, it is still very much an active construction site, and visiting is restricted until crews have made it safe to reopen. The exact date has not been revealed.
Megan Devlin/Daily Hive
Megan Devlin/Daily Hive
The rest of the park will also need more work, and its completion date is set for 2025.
Coquihalla Canyon Provincial Park is about two hours east of Vancouver near Hope, BC, and is a popular summer road trip destination.