There will be another extended closure of Highway 1 through the Kicking Horse Canyon as the project to four-lane the highway nears completion

The highway will be closed for 17 days over two periods. It will be closed for a week, starting at noon next Monday, Sept. 18 until Friday, Sept. 22, and then for two weeks from Monday, Sept. 25 until Friday, Oct. 6.

As has been the case in the past, all traffic between Golden and the Alberta border town of Castle Junction will be routed though Radium Hot Springs via Highways 93S and 95, adding as much as 90 minutes of travel time.

“These closures are needed to complete construction activities that cannot be performed in the presence of traffic or during shorter interruptions,
the Ministry of Transportation said, in a statement. “The focus during these closures will be on preparing the new westbound lanes, currently under construction, for traffic this fall.”

“Roadside signage will provide advance notification of the closure and direction to the alternate route. Drivers are advised to use caution and watch for wildlife, school children and school buses.”

Local and commute 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.

“The highway will be fully open for the Thanksgiving long weekend,” the statement added. “After Thanksgiving, some daytime stoppages and overnight closures can still be expected.:

“When completed this winter, 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.”

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