REVELSTOKE, B.C. – Repairs to Hwy. 23 North at Holdich Creek, located about 36 kilometres north of Revelstoke, are finished at last, the Ministry of Transpor-tation and Highways has announced.

All the way back on July 14, 1999, Hwy. 23 North was washed out when debris from heavy rainfall and melting snow plugged the 200-metre tunnel carrying Holdich Creek under the highway, causing water to pond more than 30 metres deep.

Last fall, a 20-metre-long arch culvert and a 22-metre-high reinforced earth wall were built, and a temporary asphalt surface restored two-lane traffic for the winter months.

Work completed this year includes two layers of asphalt, rip-rap to stabilize the creek banks, removal of the detour bridge, repairs to the Ministry of Forests’ Carnes Creek recreation site, and hydroseeding of the disturbed soils.

Hwy. 23 North plays a crucial role in the region’s economy as an access route for the forestry and tourism industries, which generate $200 million a year in economic activity.

The highway also provides access to the Mica hydroelectric dam. n