UPDATE: Overnight Coquihalla closure caused by snow plow being hit by semi

(UPDATE: Oct. 25 @ 9:40 am) - The cause of the overnight Coquihalla Highway (Hwy 5) closure has been revealed.

According to YRB Nicola, the maintenance contractor in charge of Hwy 5 and other routes in the area, a snow plow was hit on the highway late Tuesday night.

"Please slow down, don’t pass plow trucks on the right and give our crews and equipment time and space to do their jobs," the company said in a Facebook post accompanied by a picture of the collision.

While Hwy 5 is now open after being closed overnight for around nine hours, Hwy 3 has shut down between Princeton and Manning Park due to "multiple vehicle incidents."

(*UPDATE: Oct. 25 @ 8:45 am) - The Coquihalla Highway did reopen shortly after 8:30 am.

(Original story: Oct. 25 @ 8:15 am) - DriveBC expects the Coquihalla Highway (Hwy 5) to reopen shortly after an overnight closure.

The northbound closure was due to a multi-vehicle incident just two kilometres south of Merritt.

The crash happened shortly before midnight as conditions deteriorated on Hwy 5 and other BC Interior routes due to the season’s first significant snowfall.

On the Coquihalla Road Reports Facebook group, drivers reported between five to 10 centimetres of snow, black ice and strong winds.

“If anyone is going towards Merritt, be careful out there,” wrote Adam Chila, who found himself stuck near Brookmere due to the northbound closure.

For Elana Oglesby, her trip from Kelowna to Chilliwack lasted nearly six hours.

“I wouldn’t drive the Coquihalla unless necessary,” she advised Tuesday night after reaching Chilliwack. “Low-to-none visibility in areas, snowing up until just before Hope, ice in areas.”

Environment Canada has now lifted a travel advisory for Hwy 3, Hwy 5 and Hwy 97C that was in place Monday and Tuesday, but that doesn’t mean the danger is completele gone.

“(The) Connector is a sheet of ice this morning,” Tanya Lister wrote around 7:35 am. “My husband said you can’t even stand on it.”

According to DriveBC, Hwy 5 should reopen to northbound traffic around 8:30 am.

For all the latest highway conditions and closures, visit the DriveBC website.