Highway 7 reopens westbound for people stranded in Hope, B.C.

An escape route has been cleared for travellers who spent days marooned in Hope, B.C., due to storm-triggered landslides, the government announced Wednesday.

An escape route has been cleared for travellers who spent days marooned in Hope, B.C., due to storm-triggered landslides, the government announced Wednesday.

The province said crews have made enough progress clearing debris to allow Highway 7 to be reopened west of Hope at 5 p.m., but only in a limited capacity.

"This opening will be limited to westbound traffic only and is only open to passenger vehicles," the Ministry of Transportation said in a statement. "The intent of this opening is to allow those people stranded in Hope to make their way toward the Lower Mainland."

This is a developing story and will be updated. Previous story follows.

Several highways remain closed in southern B.C. Wednesday as the region deals with the aftermath of a major rainstorm, but some routes are reopening for emergency access.

B.C.'s transportation ministry has a long list of the closures on its website, warning some drivers that there are no available routes to their destinations. Many of these blocked roadways have been closed since Sunday with no estimated time of reopening.