Traffic was snarled on Highway 1 eastbound in Coquitlam Thursday after a portion of the freeway's shoulder slid down an embankment.
Two of the three lanes were immediately shut down and traffic had slowed to a crawl from the Brunette exit all the way to the 1st Avenue exit in Vancouver.
Max Logan, spokesperson for the Highway 1 Improvement Project, said crews were working to re-open the lanes ahead of the afternoon rush-hour commute.
"We will remain closed until the slope stabilization process is complete," he said. "Our expectation is that it will be open at least by early afternoon. There is still a lot of traffic that drives eastbound. It is critical for the afternoon rush hour."
The lanes were shutdown while construction crews were doing excavation work on the side of the highway. Concrete on the shoulder was damaged by pavement on the two lanes that were closed remained intact.
Logan said the two lanes were shutdown as a precaution, while crews worked to confirm the soil under the pavement was stable.
"There is no damage to the pavement," he said. "We are just making sure that the slope is stable before we have traffic driving back on those lanes."
