A heads up to drivers trying to get to or from Alberta later this month, as the Ministry of Transportation is warning of major disruptions on the Trans Canada Highway this fall.

The highway will be closed to all traffic through the Kicking Horse Canyon between Golden and the Alberta border town of Castle Junction for nine-and-a-half weeks.

The closure will take effect at noon on Monday, Sept. 26 and last until 6 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 1. All non-local traffic will be routed via highways 93S and 95, adding as much as 90 minutes of travel time.

The Ministry says the closure is necessary “for more complex construction work” to take place, through the highway will be temporarily opened from noon on Oct. 7 until noon on Oct. 11 for the Thanksgiving long weekend.

“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 said, in its statement.

This is the second closure to this stretch of highway this year. Highway 1 was previously closed for a month between the Easter and Victoria Day holidays.

As was the case then, local and commuter traffic will have access through the construction zone with prearranged permits twice a day. They will be escorted by a pilot vehicle during half-hour periods beginning at 7:00 a.m. and ending at 4:30 p.m.

Similar escorts will also be provided to school buses while emergency vehicles responding to an incident will be escorted through the area on short notice.

“This summer, progress has included the placement of girders and construction of bridge decks on new bridges and viaducts,” the Ministry statement added.

“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.”

The ministry also says when completed in winter 2023-24, the 4.8-kilometre section of narrow, winding two-lane highway through the Kicking Horse Canyon will be converted to a modern four-lane highway.

Updates on delays will be available online on DriveBC and on the Kicking Horse Canyon calendar here.