Travellers stranded for six days at Muncho Lake don't feel so stranded anymore.
Phone lines to Fort Nelson were restored last night, and this morning about 50 vehicles were escorted north by RCMP. They are expected to arrive in Watson Lake sometime later today.
But the south-bound stranded will have to wait at least until Wednesday before they can travel. Work on a 50-foot span of the Racing River bridge that was washed out Monday night started yesterday, after preliminary work Saturday.
Welders dismantled the span and are now repairing it and bulldozers are diverting the flow of the stream and pushing rocks against the bridge piers to stabilize the bridge.
DPW northwest highway system project manager Dennie Anderson, of Fort Nelson, said this morning workers are "going all out" at the Racing River and he's secretly hoping the bridge "may be able to take traffic tomorrow, or maybe tonight."
But a good 40 miles of highway that has been completely washed out or buried by slides will delay any through traffic until at least Wednesday. Anderson said, however, "I'm hoping quicker."
He said slides present less of a problem than wash-outs. "I don't worry about the slides too much. We can make them safe to cross."
Anderson said trucks may be able to travel the highway when it is re-opened, Wednesday or Thursday but a definite decision will be made at the end of the week. He said after the back-logged traffic is let through, DPW will check the conditions of the detours and stability of the roadbeds. A decision will also depend on the amount of rain the road gets.
Food supplies were again flown into Muncho Lake yesterday, and RCMP are distributing food from there by helicopter to about 50 persons at Toad River, mile 422 and 25 more at The Village, Mile 442 and others isolated at Mile 448.
A case aid worker from the B.C. government's Human Resources Department has been with the stranded at Muncho since Friday. A public health nurse who visited the area Friday returned today and may visit the area again Wednesday.
No serious injuries resulted of the wash-outs. RCMP flew out a man with a broken ankle Thursday and a girl was treated in Fort Nelson hospital for cuts and abrasions following a car accident Monday.
Anderson said he will suggest to RCMP they have one-way traffic only initially to relieve the back-log at Fort Nelson and get the people out of Muncho Lake. It isn't definite, but he thinks it would be best for the travellers, and the road.
"It's something that's gotta be handled with kid gloves," he said, because of the impatience of the stranded.
At Watson Lake, RCMP Corporal Al Hansen said about 60 vehicles left yesterday and Saturday south via the Cassiar-Stewart Road, which is open to traffic from 5:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily. Logging trucks have priority and the right of way from 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
He said some campers may leave today, "but there's not that many people left anyway." He said there is even some hotel space in the town, as well as plenty of campground space.
Food supplies for Whitehorse are still arriving by temporary arrangement. Super-Valu manager Len Hamm said today a week's supply of milk will arrive tomorrow via White Pass. It was ordered a week ago when the road was closed, and was shipped from Vancouver by boat and train. He said despite higher B.C. prices, Whitehorse customers won't be paying them. Milk is usually brought in from Alberta.
Kelly Douglas spokesman Art Taylor said today 30,000 lb. of produce and eggs also arrived by train Saturday. Alaskan lettuce and produce is expected to arrive today and "enough to last the Yukon a week" will arrive again tomorrow.
Jet Air it is flying surface mail delayed in Dawson Creek to Whitehorse, and manager Rob Clayards said this morning he may be flying in other delayed goods as well.
White Pass announced Friday afternoon it is trucking supplies to Fort St. John, then flying them to Watson Lake where they will be trucked again to Whitehorse and other destinations in the territory.
Non-perishables and bulk freight is being trucked to Prince Rupert, loaded onto barges for trasport to Haines, Alaska then trucked again to Whitehorse.
A press release said rates will be about 17 cents per pound, more than 10 cents above the normal rate of 6.18 cents.
Yukon Freight Lines manager Jake Weibs said today the company is shipping general freight, also by barge, from Vancouver to Haines, Alaska. One left last Thursday, another will arrive at Haines Wednesday night or Thursday morning and another is being loaded Thursday. A truck will leave Vancouver shortly and travel by road via Prince George, Terrace and Cassiar to Whitehorse.
