Highway 7 near Hope will be closed until next week, says the province.

Due to the damage caused by Thursday night's (Nov. 14) rockfall, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) estimates that the road, between 7 Day Adventist Youth Camp (Camp Hope) and Ross Road, will only reopen on Wednesday, Nov. 27. 

The repairs are being done alongside Emil Anderson Maintenance, who has an office in Hope.

"On Thursday night, a rockslide occurred on Highway 7, causing extensive damage to the asphalt and necessitating significant cleanup efforts," Emil Anderson said in a Facebook post. "Geotechnical assessments, which involve the examination of the soil, rock, and underground water conditions to ensure stability and safety, are currently underway.

"Our primary concern is the safety of both our crews and the general public. Rock scaling will take place to mitigate additional rockfall and our equipment is on standby ready to go once we are safely able to begin cleanup."

According to MOTI, on their X (Twitter) account for the Lower Mainland and Sunshine Coast B.C., specialized equipment and additional crews have been brought in. 

On their website, DriveBC said rocks are still covering the highway and that it is closed in both directions. As there are no detours, drivers are being asked to take either Highway 1 or Highway 9 instead. 

This has been causing delays for many people including students, of the Fraser-Cascade School District 78, whose bus routes are affected by closure. Seabird Island First Nation (SIFN) also put out a press release about the event on Nov. 15. 

The next update on the highway will be Monday (Nov. 18) at noon.