Three-year project to expand Kicking Horse Canyon highway nearly done

People travelling between B.C. and Alberta will soon have a fully expanded highway to drive on.

After three years of work to expand the Trans-Canada highway east of Golden through Kicking Horse Canyon, the project is nearing completion.

“The Trans-Canada Highway in the Kicking Horse Canyon is more than a scenic road in the mountains. It’s an example of what we can accomplish when we work together. Very soon, commuters will be able to drive along this newly expanded highway, allowing more people to get to where they need to go safely and efficiently,” John Aldag, MP for Cloverdale-Langley City, on behalf of Sean Fraser, federal Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, said.

The project has seen five kilometres of narrow, two-lane highway expanded, and work is ongoing to transition traffic onto the new highway and bridges by the beginning of December 2023, in time to provide smoother, safer travel on a four-lane divided highway over the winter.

“Improvements through the Kicking Horse Canyon are a marvel of engineering and have earned industry awards for design and skilled construction,” Rob Fleming, B.C.’s Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, said.

“Everyone working on this phase of the project should be very, very proud of what they’ve accomplished. The contractors and workers deserve our thanks for completing this challenging project in very difficult terrain and adverse weather conditions during the months of high summer heat and the bitter cold of winter.”

The project will not require any more extended closures, though there will be limited construction delays, including nighttime closures, through November.

Some work will be required in the spring of 2024, including top-lift paving and additional traffic management.