The Kicking Horse Canyon project on the Trans-Canada Highway is now open, making a wider and safer road for everyone travelling in the area.
The Kicking Horse Canyon project has been under construction for a few years. The project has cost more than $600 million and has at times caused frustration for drivers who had to take a circuitous route around the construction adding more than 1.5 hours to the drive east or west through Golden. The recent announcement was for the opening of the westbound lane, which brings the road up to four lanes of split highway heading into the winter.
Nov. 30, marks the end of the construction of the project for the winter, and a significant milestone in phase four of the Kicking Horse Canyon project.
While both directions are now open, the construction still has some final touches to be added in the spring. As such, the speed limit is set to 80 km/h for the winter, but once the entire project is fully complete in the spring, the speed limit will go up to 100 km/h.
Wildlife fences, landscaping, and a final layer of pavement are among the last touches that need to be added to the highway in the spring. The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure warned drivers that although the roadway is safer with a separated four-lane highway, they should still watch closely for wildlife and be aware of changing winter road conditions.
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