Large boulder rolls down on to Highway 97

Heavy rainfall is believed to be the cause of the incident

Thursday’s wet weather caused what could have been a serious incident on Highway 97 near Winfield.

According to the Ministry of Transportation, a rock, weighing an estimated 100 pounds, dislodged from the hillside above the existing two-lane stretch of highway three kilometres north of Winfield and fell onto the road surface.

According to the ministry, the rock came down around 10:45 a.m. and had nothing to do with the highway construction work currently underway in the area to re-route Highway 97.

The rock is believed to have fallen from a rock cut slope along the existing highway, likely dislodged by the heavy rain saturating the earth it was lodged in.

The rock landed on the  road shoulder and was rolled into the ditch by a maintenance worker. Some shattered pieces splintered off into the southbound lane lanes said a ministry spokesman but there were no injuries or damage reported.  Traffic was not delayed as clean-up crews swept up the rock chips.

The incident occurred about 500 metres north of Ponderosa Road.