The province will be holding an information session on the Kicking Horse Canyon road construction project. The info session will take place at the Radium Hot Springs Centre from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, October 29th.
There are only 4.8 kilometres left to upgrade along Kicking Horse Canyon, but the terrain is so steep and the turns so tight that the provincial government is budgeting $601 million for the work.
“It’s almost a bit of a goat trail,” said Lindsay Parker, associate project director, adding that safety is the province’s main objective with the project.
Avalanche risk and rock fall are other hazards along the stretch of highway.
“We are contemplating some significant blasting throughout the canyon,” she said.
When the blasting takes place, the highway will need to be closed with traffic rerouted, but she said Highway 93 and Highway 95 have the capacity to handle additional vehicles.
The closures are to be scheduled during the shoulder seasons in the spring and fall and during evenings as needed.
Ms. Parker said the province expects to hire a contractor within the year and that work could begin as early as the fall of 2020.
