Traffic Management

It is well-known that the remaining two-lane canyon section of the Trans-Canada Highway is severely constrained. As a result, the final phase of the Kicking Horse Canyon Project to improve safety, widen and realign the highway will inevitably require traffic disruptions and, at times, full highway closures. The traffic management strategy is designed to minimize and mitigate traffic disruptions while allowing the work to proceed safely and on schedule.

Winter 2022/23 Hours

Traffic management for the winter will generally involve the following:

30-minute stoppages between 9 am and 3 pm, and in the evening from 8 to 10 pm
Overnight closures from 10 pm to 7 am

Spring 2023 Extended Closure – Updated March 20, 2023

An extended (multi-day/24 hour) closure is planned again for Spring 2023. It will be much more limited than past closures, and remains subject to weather and other conditions.

The multi-day/24-hour extended closure period for Spring 2023 is currently planned as follows:

Starting at 12:00 noon on Tuesday, April 11 and continuing though Saturday, April 15, ending at midnight.

The latest information from Kicking Horse Canyon Constructors indicates there will be no extended closures in May 2023. For details, see the March 20, 2023, Stakeholder Notice.

For ongoing information, please visit the Highway Status Calendar, and remember to verify information by checking DriveBC.

Please note that road closures due to Kicking Horse Canyon Project construction apply only to the 4.8 kilometre construction zone in the canyon itself. The Trans-Canada Highway from Castle Junction to Lake Louise, Field and Beaverfoot will be OPEN even during overnight closures.

From now until Winter 2023/24

As a rule of thumb, the contractor will be required to abide by the following during the course of the project:

Fall, Winter and Spring

Daytime may see stoppages from 20 minutes to 2 hours.
There may be closures of up to nine hours overnight, which will require significant advance notice.
In addition, there may be multi-day extended closures from April 1 to the end of May and from mid-September to the end of November.
The highway will be kept open for Easter and Thanksgiving long weekends, and there will be two daily peak-hour windows to allow passage for school buses, commuters and other essential local traffic/trips. Extended closures will also require significant advance notice, and the first is now expected to occur in spring 2021.

Summer

During daytime, the highway through the Canyon will remain fully open and free of interruptions, other than momentary traffic control for turning vehicles.
Overnight, interruptions may range from 20 minute stoppages to 8 hour closures. The closures will require significant advance notice.

During any closure travellers would have the option of taking the alternative route using Highways 93 and 95. By limiting extended closures to off-peak periods, the total combined traffic volumes on the alternative route will be comparable to the peaks that Highways 93 and 95 currently experience in the summer.

The schedules below broadly illustrate times that the contractor may apply various types of stoppages and closures of the Trans-Canada Highway through the construction zone. For actual planned usage of these availabilities, please refer to Construction/Traffic Notifications below, the Highway Status Calendar and always check DriveBC for the most current information.

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