RCMP ERT Operation Shuts Down Trans-Canada Highway Near Spences Bridge

April 19 2026– An RCMP Emergency Response Team (ERT) operation briefly closed Highway 1 just north of Frog Rock beside the Thompson River on April 19, 2026, near Spences Bridge, B.C. causing major traffic backups for several hours.

Approximate Location of ERT operation

Eyewitnesses described seeing tactical officers in green camouflage gear, police dogs, and multiple police vehicles at the scene.

One shirtless man was observed being detained on the roadside while officers conducted a search.

A helicopter was also spotted flying over the steep, rugged hillside above the highway.

The highway was closed for roughly two hours. Traffic began moving again around 5:24 p.m.

The reason for the ERT response is not known. No official details have been released by the RCMP regarding what prompted the tactical operation or the outcome.

This report remains based solely on eyewitness accounts from the scene, the full circumstances are still unclear.

RCMP ERT Operation Shuts Down Trans-Canada Highway Near Spences Bridge