Best to avoid driving through the Kicking Horse Canyon this fall

A detour that could add an hour-and-a-half to travel time on Highway 1 will be in place for much of this fall as work proceeds on the upgrading of the highway through Kicking Horse Canyon.

The highway will be closed between Golden and Castle Junction from noon Sept. 26 to 6 a.m. Dec. 1. Traffic will be rerouted through Highways 93S and 95.

Destinations between Castle Junction and the construction zone, such as Lake Louise and Field, will continue to be accessible from the east throughout the closure, a Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure news release says.

The highway will be opened for Thanksgiving weekend from noon on Oct. 7 until noon on Oct. 11 but will remain closed over the Nov. 11 Remembrance Day holiday.

There will be access for local traffic and school buses on a limited and controlled basis.

Travellers can expect congestion during busy times.

“The closure will allow crews to proceed with work that cannot be carried out safely during shorter interruptions,” the news release says. “When completed in winter 2023-24, this 4.8 km section of narrow, winding two-lane road will be converted to a modern four-lane standard.”

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