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Third round of extended highway closures announced east of Golden

It’s a part of Phase 4 of the Kicking Horse Canyon Project
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The third round of multi-day extended closures to the highway east of Golden were announced. (MOTI photo)

Kicking Horse Canyon Constructors have announced the third round of extended multi-closures to Highway 1 just east of Golden due to the ongoing construction associated with Phase 4 of the Kicking Horse Canyon Project.

The Spring 2022 closures will start at 12 p.m. (noon) on Tuesday, April 19, 2022, and will reopen at 12 p.m. (noon) on Friday, May 20.

During this time, the Trans-Canada Highway will be completely closed in the Kicking Horse Canyon, just east of Golden, with some provisions to local traffic.

Those who use the highway for their daily commute will be permitted to pass through, with provisions from school busses as well during this time frame. Emergency vehicles will also be allowed to pass through. Day passes and emergency passes for travel through the canyon during this time can be applied for online at kickinghorsecanyon.ca.

The construction zone will be opened to local/commuter traffic, escorted by a pilot vehicle, during one half-hour period in the morning and one half-hour period in the afternoon. Similar escorts will be provided for local school buses.

READ MORE: Mike Lorimer excited for Kicking Horse Canyon opportunity

Traffic that would typically pass through the Kicking Horse Canyon along Highway 1 will be re-routed along Hwy 93 and 95, through Radium.

Construction activities will be carried out 24 hours a day and cannot be performed safely in the presence of traffic or during shorter interruptions. The work being done in the canyon is challenging, according to

“The expectation is that the general public will use the alternate routes and observe the full closure,” said Mike Lorimer, executive project manager, during the announcement for the initial closures in January 2021.

“The traffic management regime is complex and we have worked with local stakeholders to identify their concerns. They recognize that this work is necessary and we will try to have it happen when there’s the least impact.”

The project will see the highway expanded from two lanes to four with a meridian divider, with approximately 4.8 km of highway being updated, with 13 curves realigned and wider shoulders along the highway to accomodate cyclists.

The closures are a part of the larger Alberta to Kamloops four laning project, with the Province committing $837-million to upgrading Highway 1 between Kamloops and the Alberta border over the next three years under Budget 2021.

Work is also being done on Quartz Creek Bridge just west of Golden, and construction wrapped up on the Illecillewaet Brake Check portion of the highway just east of Revelstoke this past summer.

The project is expected to last three years, with a maximum of 30 weeks of closures over that time.


Claire Palmer
Editor for the Golden Star
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