Highway 1 through Kicking Horse Canyon in BC reopens on Friday

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Highway 1 through Kicking Horse Canyon is set to open ahead of schedule on Friday after progress is made on a $600 million highway upgrade, according to the BC government.

The BC Department of Transportation said that when the highway opens at 6 a.m., the future east-facing lane will be used to move traffic on much of the newly built infrastructure, while construction will continue on the new west-facing lane. said. Three new bridges will open.

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“Travelers and commercial truckers will benefit from these significant upgrades through Kicking Horse Canyon,” BC Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Rob Fleming said in a statement Wednesday. “Gone are the sharp corners of the old highway with new viaducts and structures across sections of the canyon that will improve the safety and reliability of this important interstate connection.”

The project is expected to be completed this winter, with the next closure of the highway expected in spring 2023.

Phase 4 of the Kicking Horse Canyon Project involves the realignment and expansion of 4.8 kilometers of the Trans-Canada Highway through the canyon. The work includes the construction of four new bridges and nine new viaducts.

More than $600 million has been spent on the project, with the federal government contributing $215.19 million and the BC government contributing the remaining $385.58 million.

ticrawford@postmedia.com