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Blasting creates slide and road closure

Blasting work meant to improve a notorious stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway caused an unscheduled rock slide and blocked traffic

Blasting work meant to improve a notorious stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway caused an unscheduled rock slide and blocked traffic near Chase for several hours.

Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure officials say contractors were blasting at Hoffman’s Bluff on Friday afternoon, when a significant amount of debris ended up on the highway. Upgrades were announced to the same stretch of highway earlier this year, and the bluff was the scene of a fatal head-on crash between a bus and car in August.

The road was closed during the blast and the ministry says public safety was not at risk.

It says the contractor was removing the rock and cleaning up the highway, which reopened in the early evening. Traffic was detoured on Highway 97 or Highway 97B.