Avalanches have closed our "Hwy Thru Hell" for three days

[Okanagan]

For the third time in a week, an avalanche closed the Coquihalla Highway a little over an hour's drive from where I live in BC.  The first two closures lasted up to five hours but this one is going into the third day with no promise of when it will open.  It is the road that a reality TV show calls the Highway Thru Hell.  Must be a cold version.

They haven't been able to clear the first huge avalanche due to danger of more.  They are using helicopters to drop explosives on snowfields hanging above the highway, trying to trigger avalanches while the highway below is safely free of cars.  The Coquihalla is a freeway over a mountain pass that shortcuts across a 200 mile dogleg in the narrow old Trans Canada highway that goes around the mountains.  Locals knew when they built it that it would be hard to keep open in winter.   Locals also call it the Coca Cola Higway, in case you're not sure how to pronounce it!

[FinsnFur]

I dont know if these are the same road. You peaked my interest and I tried to find some arial shots of the road and got these.
I can see how it got it's nickname though if it is.

[Dale]

beautiful scenery, but I'm just positive, I'll never see it, at least when there's snow on the ground...

[Okanagan]

Jim, Thanks for finding some pics.  I can't say for sure they are pics of the Coquihalla but three of them look right. 

They put a heavy reinforced roof over the highway in the places where it crosses predictable avalanche chutes, so that the avalanches slide over the road.  It works when nature is acting tame and cooperates!