Trans-Canada reopens through Kicking Horse Pass, but intermittently

Motorists driving to and from Alberta on the Trans-Canada Highway will be able to use the Golden to Field portion currently closed for construction and avoid the 1.5 hour delay, at least for the next two weekends.

The construction project is upgrading 4.8 kilometres of highway through the most challenging sections of the Kicking Horse Canyon at a cost of $601 million, cost shared with the federal government. It is the fourth and final phase of Highway 1 reconstruction through the canyon.

The closure of Highway 1 that began April 12 comes to an end today, May 14, with intermittent daytime lane closures tomorrow, May 15, and May 16, according to a Ministry of Transportation release. The route will be closed overnight on those dates.

A full closure will resume Monday, May 17 at 7:30 a.m. until noon on Friday, May 21. There will be no closures during the May long weekend between May 22 and 24, with a full closure back in effect on May 25 at noon.

The alternate routes of Highways 93 and 95 will be available to motorists at all times. The detour adds an hour and a half to the journey between Castle Junction and Golden.

Ministry of Transportation officials analyzed the alternate route before the initial extended closures and undertook a number of safety improvements along the route, including construction of a new roundabout in Radium to improve safety and efficiency of traffic moving through the community.

In spite of the improvements, a fatal collision on the route last weekend resulted in traffic congestion in Radium Hot Springs. A ministry spokesperson said the province continues to work with the community to assess how to manage traffic in response to incidents.

"The safety of motorists using the alternate route is a priority for the ministry during the road closure related to the Kicking Horse Canyon road upgrades. The route has all the capacity required to safely carry the volumes of traffic using it during the extended closure of the Trans-Canada Highway through the Kicking Horse Canyon,” the ministry said in an emailed statement.

More summer information on traffic management through the construction zone can be found here.

Check with DriveBC for the most reliable and up-to-date information.

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