Road closed between Kelowna and Joe Rich.
Highway 33 is shut down for six kilometers between Goudie Road and Cardinal Creek Road after a washout collapsed part of the road Tuesday morning.
To accommodate traffic, a detour has been put in place along Goudie Road, although oversized loads are not permitted on this detour for the time being.
The oversaturated ground in the area, as well as the recent rainfall and snowmelt, led to several meters of the side of the road collapsing.
It's been confirmed that the area in which the washout occurred is unstable, with several new cracks in the road near the site.
Sandrina Chartrand, who lives off the highway between Goudie and the site of the washout, is concerned that washouts and mudslides caused by wet weather saturating the ground could cause more serious problems.
"I think (my family) is safe where we are, but other houses up on the ridge – I am worried that they're going to lose their properties if it keeps raining," says Chartrand.
The washout has still affected Chartrand's family, however, as the bus route that her kids take has been closed off, but Chartrand says an alternate bus route has been established in the meantime.
The Ministry of Transportation is currently working to reduce road closures in the area and maintain safe conditions.
No injuries or damaged vehicles have been reported from the washout at this time.
