Commercial truck with extended crane caused major Malahat shutdown

The cause of Thursday’s major Malahat closure has now been confirmed.

According to Shawnigan Lake RCMP, a commercial truck travelling with its crane extended struck overhead power lines, bringing down multiple hydro poles and forcing the closure of the Trans-Canada Highway (TCH) near Shawnigan Lake Road for several hours.

The incident happened at approximately 3:40 p.m. on July 9th.

Police say the northbound crane truck was turning left from the TCH onto South Shawnigan Lake Road when the extended crane snagged overhead lines, pulling them down across both the highway and Shawnigan Lake Road.

The impact broke or compromised a total of five BC Hydro poles, leaving power lines draped across both roadways.

The incident also sparked a small brush fire along the highway shoulder, which RCMP say was quickly extinguished by a civilian using a fire extinguisher before it could spread.

Two other commercial trucks became entangled in the downed power lines, though police say no injuries were reported.

The Malahat and Shawnigan Lake Road remained closed for several hours while emergency crews, including BC Hydro, worked to secure the scene and remove the damaged infrastructure.

Photos from the scene showed a hydro pole lying across the northbound lanes of the highway, causing major traffic disruptions during the afternoon commute.

RCMP say the cause of the incident remains under investigation. The Malahat has since reopened in both directions.