Gas rationing after flood lifting in B.C.

VICTORIA - The British Columbia government is lifting a restriction on gasoline for the general public that was put in place after flooding and landslides cut off supply.

Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth says the 30-litre limit per visit to the pumps proved effective and will lift on Tuesday.

Gas rationing was put in place Nov. 19 for drivers in the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island and other southern B.C. locations in order to ensure enough supply for essential traffic, such as emergency vehicles and supply chain transport.

The minister also announced a two-week extension to the provincial state of emergency as crews continue work to reopen highways and while traffic on some major routes is limited to essential services.

Transportation Minister Rob Fleming says crews have "defied the odds" and the reopening of the Coquihalla Highway may be bumped up even sooner than the early January date announced just four days ago.

Fleming says a full briefing will come this week on the state of the highway that links the Lower Mainland with the Interior, which was mangled by mudslides and washouts last month.

"I expect by Wednesday we’ll be able to give something a lot more precise," he says.