UPDATE: Fraser Highway shutdown in Langley enters second day

The Fraser Highway between 248 Street and 260 Street in Langley was closed for nearly two days while BC Hydro crews worked to repair fallen power lines and damaged substations in the wake of two brutal winter ice storms.

The highway was originally expected to re-open by Saturday night, but repairs were running behind schedule and it remain closed.

By early Sunday afternoon, traffic was re-opened to a single alternating lane.

The ice storm cut power to 134,000 BC Hydro customers as a result of the two ice storms Friday and Sunday.

As of Sunday, around 8,100 were still without power.

BC Hydro said it had around 90 crews working in the Fraser Valley area, some brought in from Vancouver island and the interior.

Crews have been de-icing sensitive equipment completely coated in thick ice, some of which required replacement. pic.twitter.com/q1jp4zhkQe

— BC Hydro (@bchydro) December 31, 2017

Crews were working in “challenging and hazardous conditions” to repair extensive damage that includes frozen equipment, broken poles and downed lines, Hydro said.

There has been “significant damage” to transmission lines and towers in Mission and Abbotsford substations, creating large outages that are a priority for restoration, an online message said.

Some people might be entering the New Year without power, the message indicated.

“Crews will be working through the day and evening to restore power as quickly as possible, however we’re anticipating some remaining outages due to the extent of damage and number of individual outages.”

For more information about outages in your area, visit bchydro.com/safety-outages.html.

dan.ferguson@langleytimes.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter