Outdoor enthusiasts in BC and beyond have been anxiously awaiting for the popular Othello Tunnels to reopen. Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that is going to happen anytime soon.
The beloved tourist attraction and historical site was badly damaged in the devastating floods that ravaged parts of the Fraser Valley in November of 2021, and it has been closed since.
The tunnels — located in Coquihalla Canyon Provincial Park in Hope — have been shuttered ever since.
RELATED: String Of Storms Causes Heavy Damage To The Othello Tunnels (PHOTOS)
With spring now in full swing, many have been wondering when the landmark will reopen to the public. But according to the province, it doesn’t appear that a reopening is in the cards at all (for this year at least).
According to a statement from the Ministry of Environment, the tunnels are not expected to reopen in 2023.
Storm damage at Othello Tunnels
Little has been said about the full extent of the damage, and the work still needing to be done. But the province has said engineers have been on-site to assess the impacts of the storm on the tunnels and the surrounding area.
Photos of when the atmospheric river hit show the tunnels heavily damaged by tumbling rocks and fallen trees. They also sustained damage due to the water floating around the tunnels at that time.
While the future of the Othello Tunnels remains uncertain at this time, many are hopeful for its return.
History of Othello Tunnels
Every year, people would visit the area to take pictures of its standing beauty. Rich in history and immersed with unanswered questions, Othello Tunnels are almost as old as our country itself.
Made up of a series of five tunnels and multiple bridges in between, the cliffs are straight granite, at a massive 300 feet tall. The tunnels have concrete and wood supports from the inside, where you’re able to hear the rapids flowing through the gorge.
The tunnels were built by the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1914, who also helped in the construction of the cross-Canada railway that was meant to link the Kootenays with the South Coast of BC. In 1914, they contained one of the most expensive railway miles in the world, at $300,000.
They were named after a nearby railway station on the Kettle Valley Railway station, since all the tunnels were named after character in Shakespeare plays. The engineer, Andrew McCulloch was a big Shakespeare fan, hence the names.
Although the tunnels have been called an “engineering marvel” by President Kennedy himself, there are some parts of the construction of the tunnels that don’t get discussed as often.
A lot of the construction that went on was handled by Chinese workers, who worked almost exclusively by hand and often did not survive the explosives used to blow up portions of the mountains.
In 1986, the area became a provincial recreation area.
While it’s been a fixture for both history buffs and nature lovers over the years — the Othello Tunnels have also been featured on the big screen — with cameos in Rambo: First Blood and Cabin In The Woods.
