The northbound lanes of the Coquihalla highway were closed through most of the evening after a snowplow was hit by a semi truck just south of Merritt.
Mountain highways across B.C.'s Interior were hit with snow overnight, as winter quickly approaches, and the Coquihalla was no exception.
Yellowhead Road & Bridge Nicola, the maintenance contractor responsible for the Coquihalla, posted a photo of their plow truck to Facebook Wednesday morning, after it was struck by the semi truck just before midnight.
“The first snowfall of the year and we have our first plow truck hit, closing Highway 5 for hours,” YRB posted.
“Please slow down, don’t pass plow trucks on the right, and give our crews and equipment time and space to do their jobs, keeping BC highways safe for everyone.”
The crash occurred in the northbound lanes of the Coquihalla just before midnight, about two kilometres south of Merritt. As a result, northbound traffic was closed through the evening, reopening at about 8:30 a.m. YRB's photo shows significant accumulation on the highway.
Webcams from the Coquihalla Summit Wednesday morning show clear skies, but possibly slick conditions, with temperatures sitting at about -7 C.
