Highway through Kicking Horse Canyon to temporarily close
The mayor of Radium Hot Springs is urging motorists to be respectful to locals and traffic laws as construction on the Trans-canada Highway forces drivers from Alberta to take a detour through the mountain town.
For the next month, beginning Monday, motorists will have to use Highways 93 and 95 as an alternative to the transcontinental highway while the Kicking Horse Canyon project enters Phase 4. Additional closures are expected in May.
“For the last year-and-a-half, since it was first reported to us that there was a possibility of full-on closures and full-on diversions through Radium, we've gone through a variety of emotions,” said Mayor Clara Reinhardt. “The biggest one is fear of the unknown.”
Since the diversions were confirmed, Reinhardt said there has been a lot of planning to ensure a smooth transition, which included feedback from the Department of Transportation, Parks Canada, highway contractors, first responders and Radium officials.
But the simple fact is there will be a lot of traffic — “there's no way around that,” she added.
Radium is about 135 kilometres west of Banff National Park and has a population of about 800 year-round residents, which swells to about 5,000 during summer months.
Reinhardt said Radium is considered a walking community, with people and the notorious bighorn sheep wandering the roads at all times.
“Once you leave Radium and go north, then you have a whole different world of small, unincorporated communities, you have a lot of rural driveways, narrower roads. It's along the Columbia River wetlands, so there's lots of winding,” she stressed.
“You have to slow down and pay attention.”
Reinhardt said Radium is one of the most beautiful places in the world, so it's worthwhile for motorists to take their time to appreciate the local wildlife, nature and village's unique charm.
She highlighted the town's new art installation, a steel structure in the shape of bighorns. It stands more than six metres tall at a recently completed roundabout that will help with traffic flow.
As for community feedback, Reinhardt said there are mixed feelings, especially as Alberta battles a third wave of COVID-19.
“The fact that we are in the hottest part of the pandemic right now is not a bad thing, because we are hopeful maybe there won't be as many people on the road,” she said.
“There's cautious optimism that some of the businesses will have increased revenues. Certainly, there is concern for our first responders and a lot of people are quite happy to be staying home during the diversion.”
Integrated highway units from Golden and Cranbrook, B.C., will be based out of Radium while diversions are underway, and anyone caught going 40 km/h over the speed limit could have their vehicle impounded, Reinhardt warned.
Additional 24-hour closures of a portion of the Trans-canada Highway will take place on weekdays between May 17 and 31. Any overnight closure will result in a diversion through Radium.
“It's not the Trans-canada. It is a secondary highway — rural — and people live here. That's the message we're really trying to get through,” said Reinhardt.
“You have to allow extra time.”