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| Original News Release |
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| Original News Release |
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The Kicking Horse Pass through the Rocky Mountains was selected as the route for the transcontinental railway that was built in the 1880s to open the West to the rest of Canada and the world.
In the mid-1950s, the Kicking Horse Canyon section of the Trans-Canada Highway was constructed following the original railway line, with the Yoho (5-Mile) and Park (10-Mile) bridges completed in 1956.
The Kicking Horse Canyon Project involves upgrading the 26-km section of the Trans-Canada Highway between Golden and the western boundary of Yoho National Park to a modern four-lane standard with a design speed of 100 km per hour. Additional upgrades include improved roadway alignments, replacement of narrow bridge structures, and other design innovations to reduce hazards.
The route carries over 9,000 vehicles per day during the summer and traffic is expected to increase by 50 per cent over the next 25 years. Twenty four per cent is heavy truck traffic – five times the provincial average.
The estimated cost of the overall project (phases 1, 2 and 3) is $960 million, and it is one of the Province’s top transportation priorities.
Phase 1:
Phase 1 of the project included realignment of three km of highway approaches, construction of a rock debris protection wall, and new twin bridges over the Kicking Horse River and the CPR railway.
Announced in July 2002, Phase 1 was completed in the spring of 2006. The Government of Canada committed $20.8 million through the Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program. The Province of British Columbia contributed $43.4 million toward the total cost of $64.2 million.
Phase 2:
Phase 2 includes construction of the new Park Bridge, upgrading six km of highway between the rest area and the commercial vehicle brake check at the top of 10 Mile Hill east of Golden, and a new brake check, rest area and recreational access point.
The federal government committed $62.5 million toward the estimated total cost of $130 million. Construction began in 2004 and is ahead of schedule, with the new bridge and approaches opening on Aug. 30, 2007. Phase 2 will be complete in January 2008.
Trans-Park Highway Group was selected in a competitive process to design, build, partially finance, and maintain the highway. Trans-Park Highway Group is composed of Bilfinger Berger BOT Inc., Flatiron Constructors Canada, Parsons Overseas Company of Canada and HMC Services Inc.
Phase 2 facts:
Phase 3:
Phase 3 involves upgrading approximately 17 km of the Trans-Canada Highway to four lanes, from Golden (Highway 95) to the west entrance of Yoho National Park. Additional upgrades include roadway realignment to improve traffic operations and safety, and the reduction of rock fall hazards. The estimated cost of this phase is $765 million. A federal-provincial cost-sharing agreement for this phase of the project is not yet in place.
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contact: |
Communications Director Ministry of Transportation 250 387-7787
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Press Secretary Office of the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, Ottawa 613 991-0700
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Trans-Park Highway Group 905 530-2114 www.bilfingerberger-bot.de
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Communications Transport Canada, Ottawa 613 993-0055
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For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca. |
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