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Road closures, detours near Zeballos due to hazards from last summer’s wildfires

BC Ministry of Transportation diverts traffic near Zeballos due to “rockfall and debris.”
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The province of BC has recently announced that roads near the village of Zeballos are closed.

In an online post, BC government said that a “temporary alternate route has been set up north of the town of Zeballos due to hazards related to recent forest fires.”

According to the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, Zeballos Mainline Road/Maquinna Avenue, which is north of the Sugarloaf Bridge, will be closed to all traffic until further notice.

“Work has started to remove significant rockfall and debris from the road and is expected to continue throughout the winter,” the ministry continued, “during the closure, traffic will be diverted to nearby Parkway Road and Zeballos Forest Service Road. Signs and closed gates will be in place on both ends of the closure to notify locals and visitors.”

In the event of an emergency or in case of a tsunami warning, the road will be immediately opened again.

Zeballos released an update last August on the wildfires and stated that the village “continues to monitor the fire spread and will provide structure protection if needed. Emergency Program Coordinator (EPC) Mike Atchison is advising Mayor and Council of necessary steps moving forward.”

The village also added in the update that “BCWS is working really hard to prioritize keeping roads open and power on and phone service up for all communities. Top priority is the safety of both firefighting crews and the public.” The 44 wildfires started within 72 hours last summer, which were caused by lightning.