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UPDATE: As of Sunday afternoon, Highway 16 has partially reopened to single-lane alternating traffic. Debris from Saturday’s rock slide is still blocking one of the lanes. Officials are warning drivers to expect delays and to be aware of small rocks on the road. It’s still unclear when the stretch of highway will fully reopen.
A rock slide in the Rocky Mountains early Saturday morning had forced Highway 16 to close to all traffic, from just west of Jasper, Alta., and stretching partway into B.C.
Mounties on Saturday were helping Parks Canada clear the highway and redirect a lot of traffic, but there were no reports of the slide hitting any vehicles or injuring anyone, Jasper RCMP said in a news release issued shortly before 3:45 a.m. MT.
The highway was closed from about 12 kilometres west of the Jasper townsite, to the Mount Robson Provincial Park area in B.C., just west of the interprovincial border, according to maps produced by the Alberta and B.C. transportation ministries.
One of the main routes through the mountains connecting Alberta and B.C. is currently impassable.
RCMP confirm a rock slide early Saturday morning has forced the closure of Highway 16 in both directions about 12 kilometres west of the town of Jasper, near the provincial border.
The 30-metre long rock slide had completely blocked the highway on Saturday, with debris near the Miette River, according to Alberta 511. Police and the transportation ministry asked drivers to on Saturday to find alternate routes while the highway is cleared and safety assessments are done.
As of Sunday afternoon, there was no clear timeline for when the highway will fully reopen.
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