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Detour returning as Highway 1 closes Sept. 26
Improvements to Highway 1 through the Kicking Horse Canyon near Golden are on schedule.
Following a busy summer construction season, a full closure of Highway 1 through the construction zone is necessary for more complex construction work.
From noon on Sept. 26, until 6 a.m. on Dec. 1, all through traffic on Highway 1 between Golden and Castle Junction will be routed via highways 93 and 95.
This will add as much as one and a half hours of travel time. 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.
The highway will be reopened temporarily for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend from noon on Oct. 7 until noon on Oct. 11.
Drivers should expect congestion and some delays on the alternate route during busier periods, which include weekends and the Nov. 11 Remembrance Day holiday. Travelling during off-peak periods when possible is suggested.
Roadside signs will provide advance notice of the closure. Drivers are advised to use caution and watch for wildlife, school children and school buses while travelling the alternate routes.
The construction zone will be opened briefly to limited local and commuter traffic, with prearranged permits twice daily and escorted by a pilot vehicle during half-hour periods beginning at 7 a.m. and ending at 4:30 p.m. Similar escorts will be provided for school buses to ensure students have uninterrupted access to school. Emergency vehicles in response mode will be provided escorted passage on short notice.
The closure will allow crews to proceed with work that cannot be carried out safely during shorter interruptions, such as construction on and adjacent to the existing highway, which includes the placement of heavy equipment on the roadway, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure reported Sept. 13.
This summer, progress has included the placement of girders and construction of bridge decks on new bridges and viaducts. Between the elevated structures, construction of the retaining walls to carry the wider highway continues. Following the fall closure, some of the newly constructed elements will be put into service to allow the remaining adjacent work to be carried out.
When completed in winter 2023-24, this 4.8-kilometre section of narrow, winding two-lane road will be converted to a modern four-lane standard, making a safer, more reliable route for people travelling through the Kicking Horse Canyon.
The fall closure is part of a traffic-management strategy developed in consultation with the community and key stakeholders. The strategy is designed to minimize travel disruptions during the peak summer and winter travel periods by having as much work as possible done at night and other off-peak periods.
Find more information about the Kicking Horse Canyon project.
e-KNOW file photo
e-KNOW
