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Work to widen 4.8 kilometres of the Trans-Canada Highway (Hwy 1) through the Kicking Horse Canyon from two lanes to four lanes will continue this spring.
The project will improve the safety, capacity and reliability of the highway in that area, but it will also cause some serious delays for commuters.
Hwy 1 will be closed just east of Golden from April 12 until May 14 to allow crews to proceed with work that can’t be carried out during shorter closures, like major excavation, piling and hauling.
For that period, anyone travelling between Golden and Alberta will need to take Hwy 93 and Hwy 95 as a detour, instead of heading up through Lake Louise.
That detour through Radium Hot Springs will add around 90 minutes of travel time.
“Roadside signage will provide advance notification of the closure and alternative routes will also have signage,” explained a Government of BC release.
The construction zone will be opened up for 30 minutes at 7 am and 4:30 pm to allow local and commuter traffic to be escorted through by a pilot vehicle.
Similar escorts will be provided for school buses as well as emergency vehicles in response mode on short notice.
“The closure is part of a traffic-management strategy developed in consultation with the community and key stakeholders,” added the government release.
“This 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.”
The provincial government says all construction sites have protocols and policies in place to help ensure worker safety with regards to COVID-19.