An aerial view of the construction underway on Highway 1 at Kicking Horse Canyon near Golden.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/B.C. Ministry of Transportation
June 08, 2022 - 6:00 PM
Drivers heading to Alberta from the southern Interior will face delays this summer if they plan on taking the most direct route via the Trans-Canada Highway.
The highway through the Kicking Horse Canyon, just east of Golden, is undergoing a major upgrade and intermittent closures are planned from now until mid-September. The work being done is part of phase four of the the Kicking Horse Canyon project, which is widening 4.8 kilometres of highway. The work is expected to be completed by the winter of 2023-2024.
It’s a section of Highway 1 that takes travellers through the Rocky Mountains, and the challenging terrain doesn't allow for easy detours.
READ MORE: Alberta woman warns of rocks falling on Highway 1 after rock smashes windshield
But there are a few scenic ways to avoid it.
To avoid the construction from Golden, eastbound drivers can travel south down Highway 95 to Radium Hot Springs, then travel north up Highway 93, through Kootenay National Park, where they will reconnect with Highway 1. That adds an extra hour to the drive, according to Google Maps.
B.C.'s Ministry of Transportation created a video simulation of the effect Highway 1's closure will have on Highway 95 when it's used as a detour.
Kamloops drivers can avoid the construction by taking Highway 5 to Highway 16, then drive through Jasper National Park and reconnect with the Trans-Canada in Lake Louise. That route adds an extra 2.5 hours.
For anyone heading to Calgary from Osoyoos – the southernmost community in the Okanagan – drivers can avoid the construction by taking Highway 3 through the Crowsnest Pass, and then once in Alberta, take Highway 22 north to Calgary. Even when there is no construction this route only takes about 40 minutes longer – compared to travelling up Highway 97 and connecting with Highway 1 in Salmon Arm.
Scaling the rocky cliffs is all in a day's work for the construction crews at the Kicking Horse Canyon project on the Trans-Canada east of Golden.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/B.C. Ministry of Transportation
There will be no construction delays for the Kicking Horse Canyon project from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. any day of the week.
Every Sunday through Thursday, the stretch of highway will be open but with 30-minute stoppages from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., and then closed overnight from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. The highway will remain open on Friday nights from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. but with 30-minute stoppages.
There will be the least amount of interference on Saturdays. From 7 a.m. to Sunday at 8 a.m. – a total of 25 hours – the highway will remain open with no stoppages.
And the highway will remain open longer during long holiday weekends.
The schedule of stoppages and closures is listed on this calendar.
An overview photo of the Kicking Horse Canyon before the four-laning construction began.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/B.C. Ministry of Transportation
The Kicking Horse Canyon project is part of a larger objective to four-lane all of Highway 1 between Calgary and Kamloops
It's a good idea to check Drive B.C. before embarking upon a lengthy journey.
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