Hope/Othello Tunnels – You can soon enjoy another area of the popular Coquihalla Canyon Park this summer with the northern portion of the park reopening on Friday, June 27, providing access to three of the five historic Othello Tunnels.
The park is being repaired in phases due to the complexity of the restoration work. During the second phase, the new north bridge was installed, 10 new stalls were added to the parking lot, a portion of the Kettle Valley Rail Trail was resurfaced, and more slopes and rocks were stabilized in the canyon.
The rest of the park will remain temporarily closed as work continues through summer and fall 2025. The remaining work includes redecking the south bridge and stabilizing the inside of the fifth tunnel by adding pinned mesh to part of the ceiling and walls, and sprayed concrete wherever the rock is significantly deteriorated. Loose or unstable soil, rocks and vegetation will also be removed along the canyon slopes of the last two tunnels. All work is anticipated to finish prior to the park reopening in spring 2026.
In November 2021, heavy rain and severe flooding damaged more than 30 sites throughout the park, along with all of the Othello Tunnels, which were built in 1914. Bridge foundations were also affected, along with the stability of the canyon slopes above the tunnels, increasing the risk of falling rocks. Local access roads and trails were also eroded by flooding.
The first phase of park reopening was in mid-July 2024 and provided access from the parking lot to the end of the second tunnel. Infrastructure is being rebuilt to better withstand the impacts of severe weather due to climate change.
The total cost of the project is approximately $10 million and is largely supported by the Government of Canada’s Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements program. BC Parks is working with First Nations and archeology and cultural-heritage specialists to avoid potential impacts to archeological and heritage values during construction.
