Penticton-based Hoodoo Adventures Company is offering a shuttle bus on Thursday to connect Penticton to Kelowna now that Highway 97 is closed down due to the rock slide north of Summerland.
Cynthia Gagnon of Hoodoo Adventures said if someone is in need to connect from Penticton to Kelowna on Thursday, they will leave Penticton at 3 p.m. and be at Kelowna Airport around 5:30 p.m.
It will leave Kelowna Airport around 6:15 p.m. to head back to Penticton. The shuttle will use the 201 Forest Service Road, said Gagnon.
While the shuttle is only for Aug. 31 at the moment, if there is a larger need they would open up more days.
This isn’t the first time Hoodoo has helped out during a time of crisis.
Hoodoo Adventures provided a shuttle on Aug. 21 to take stranded travellers to and from Vancouver who were experiencing flight cancellations or delays due to the ongoing wildfire situation that shut down the airport.
READ MORE: Hoodoo Adventures shuttles stranded people to Vancouver Airport during wildfires
This time, Highway 97 closed in both directions on Monday afternoon when large boulders and power lines came crashing down on the highway at North Beach Road near La Punta Norte Guest Inn. There is no timeline for the highway to re-open.
There were no injuries reported but now there is an evacuation alert for the homes below the slide.
An aerial geotechnical assessment took place Tuesday to determine if it is safe for crews to begin clearing the road without risk of further rockfall, according to a Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure press release.
“Heavy equipment is ready to move in if the aerial assessment determines that it is safe.”
An initial estimate is that approximately 3,000 cubic metres of material came down.
A 2019 rock slide close to this one shut down the highway for two months from January to March 2019.
There is no local detour and the current detour offered through Highway 5a is taking four hours.
Gagnon said they also have the Myra Canyon shuttles where they pick up people on the way back if needed.
If you are interested in the shuttle call Hoodoo Adventures at 250-492-3888.
READ MORE: No timeline for reopening after Highway 97 rock slide
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