Major Highways to Lower Mainland Shut Down
- Dec 11, 2025
- 3 min read
Atmospheric River Drives Flooding, Evacuations
December 11, 2025 - Travel between the Interior and the Lower Mainland has effectively been cut off as flooding, rockfall, debris flows and high avalanche danger force the shutdown of every major highway route into the Fraser Valley.
For North Okanagan residents and businesses, the closures mean no direct highway access to the Lower Mainland, with impacts expected for delivery schedules, freight movement and travel plans. Officials emphasize that conditions are highly dynamic, and other highways elsewhere in the province may close with little or no notice.
The Ministry of Transportation and Transit is urging the public to follow DriveBC, which remains the “source of truth.”
Current Highway Closures (All Routes to Lower Mainland Blocked)
Highway 1
Highway 9 → Hope: CLOSED eastbound
Yale → Lytton (Canyon section): CLOSED
Highway 5 (Coquihalla)
CLOSED in both directions between Hope and Merritt Reason: flooding at Sowaqua.
Highway 7
CLOSED from Highway 9 to Ross Road (27.8 km) Reason: rockslide.
No access to Hope via Hwy 1 or Hwy 7
Highway 3
CLOSED due to debris on the highway
Highway 8
Local traffic only
Highway 99
CLOSED from Mount Currie to Lillooet Reason: heavy rain, deteriorating conditions, increased debris-flow risk.
Border Route – Highway 11 (Sumas)
Sumas border closed to commercial traffic
Local traffic only; CBSA asking non-local drivers to avoid the area due to evacuations and flooding in Washington State.
These closures sever all major east–west corridors linking the Interior to the Lower Mainland.
Evacuations: Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD)
A State of Local Emergency is in effect for Electoral Area E.
Evacuation Order
Wilson Road – eight properties Residents must leave immediately due to high flood risk.
Evacuation Alerts
Chilliwack Lake Road – approx. 12 properties Residents should be prepared to leave on short notice.
Wilson Road itself currently remains open; transportation and maintenance crews are monitoring conditions.
Flood Status & River Conditions
Flood Warning – Fraser Valley East
Issued by the BC River Forecast Centre.
Areas affected:
Chilliwack River
Skagit River
Coquihalla River
Areas around Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Hope, and east through Manning Park
Sumas River, including the potential for Nooksack spillover
Rainfall Forecast
Environment and Climate Change Canada is calling for:
90–130 mm of rain from Tuesday evening through Wednesday evening
Localized flooding and sudden reductions in visibility
Risk of impassable roads in Fraser Valley – Central
Interior Rivers: New Flood Warnings (Dec. 11 – 7:45 AM)
The River Forecast Centre has upgraded to Flood Warning for:
Similkameen River tributaries (at and upstream of Princeton)
Tulameen River
Flows in these systems are at 10- to 100-year levels this morning. Additional rises are expected at Princeton.
High Streamflow Advisories continue for:
Coldwater River
Central Coast rivers
South Coast rivers including Howe Sound, North Shore Mountains, Metro Vancouver
Vancouver Island
Ashnola River (recently downgraded)
Although rainfall has eased, rivers remain high due to runoff and snowmelt. Risks include:
Unstable banks
Swift water hazards
Road and bridge flooding
Landslides
Urban drainage problems from clogged drains
What This Means for the North Okanagan
With every major connection to the Lower Mainland closed, local travellers and transport operators should expect:
No direct highway access via Hwy 1, Hwy 5, Hwy 3, or Hwy 99
Disrupted freight and delivery schedules including supply chain delays
Potential for more closures elsewhere as saturated soils continue to destabilize
High river levels on Interior tributaries, particularly near Princeton and Tulameen
Officials emphasize avoiding all flooded roads and preparing for possible local impacts as the system continues to move eastward.
Comments