A damaged section of the Kettle Valley Rail Trail, which has been closed since 2021, will soon be decommissioned to ensure public safety.

In November 2021, heavy rain and flooding compromised numerous trestles, retaining walls and major culverts along the 67-kilometre section of recreational rail trail between Princeton and the Coquihalla Highway. Entire sections of the trail bed were washed away, and in some places, the course of the river was changed so it now flows where the trail once was. 

Often crossing remote and rugged terrain, repairing and maintaining the aging infrastructure along the Province’s network of rail trails is complex and costly. Repairing the extensive damage and maintaining existing infrastructure along the Princeton section would cost an estimated $60 million.

Decommissioning the Princeton section of rail trail will begin in spring 2026 and is expected to take two to three years.