Highway 37 Reopens After Vehicle Incident Near Kitimat’s Orange Bridge
By Skeena News
Highway 37 between Kitimat and Terrace was temporarily shut down Monday evening after a motor vehicle incident near Kitimat’s well-known “Orange Bridge,” creating another reminder of how quickly one crash can disrupt one of Northwest B.C.’s most important road corridors.
Kitimat RCMP advised the public that Highway 37 near the Orange Bridge was closed because of a motor vehicle incident and said the highway would likely remain closed until at least 9 p.m. CFNR also reported that the Kitimat–Terrace highway near the Orange Bridge was closed due to a motor vehicle accident.
The closure affected the stretch near the Kitimat River bridge area, a critical route for commuters, industrial traffic, emergency vehicles, and families travelling between Kitimat, Terrace and surrounding communities.
The highway later reopened in both directions between Oolichan Avenue and Onion Lake, according to a Northern Sentinel update citing DriveBC.
At the time of publication, RCMP had not publicly confirmed the number of vehicles involved, whether anyone was injured, or what caused the incident. Skeena News is not reporting those details unless they are released by police or emergency officials.
A Small Crash Can Stop a Major Corridor
For many people in the region, the closure was more than a traffic inconvenience. Highway 37 is the main road connection between Terrace and Kitimat, and it carries daily commuter traffic, heavy industrial vehicles, service contractors, commercial deliveries and residents travelling for work, school, medical appointments and family needs.
That is why a closure near the Orange Bridge gets immediate attention. When traffic stops there, there are limited practical alternatives for many drivers. A short closure can quickly turn into long lineups, missed shifts, delayed deliveries and pressure on emergency response planning.
The incident also comes as residents continue to raise concerns about driving behaviour and safety on the Terrace–Kitimat corridor. Kitimat RCMP’s own recent weekly report listed two Highway 37 collisions in early May, including a two-vehicle collision on the 600 block of Highway 37 and another single-vehicle collision near Hirsch Creek. In both of those reported cases, police said there were no injuries, but tickets were issued in connection with the incidents.
Why This Road Matters
Highway 37 is not just a local road. For Kitimat, it is a lifeline.
It connects the community to Terrace, Highway 16, regional services, industrial sites, suppliers, workers and emergency support. Kitimat is roughly 60 kilometres from Terrace by road, according to the District of Kitimat’s industrial land strategy report.
That distance may not sound long, but in Northwest B.C., weather, wildlife, darkness, fatigue, industrial traffic and limited detour options can make the route feel much bigger than it looks on a map.
Safety Questions Remain
Monday’s incident appears to have been cleared before the late-night estimate originally given by police. That is good news for drivers and businesses that depend on the corridor. But the larger question remains: how can Highway 37 be made safer and more resilient?
Residents regularly point to speeding, aggressive passing, tired drivers, heavy trucks, winter road conditions and construction-related slowdowns as concerns. Police reports from the area show that Highway 37 has seen repeated traffic-related incidents, and RCMP previously confirmed a fatal Highway 37 South crash near Hansen Road in November 2024 that killed two people.
No single incident tells the whole story. But each closure near Kitimat adds to the same regional concern: when Highway 37 is blocked, the effect is immediate.
For now, the road has reopened, but Monday’s closure is another warning that the Terrace–Kitimat corridor needs constant attention — not only from police and highway crews, but from every driver using it.
