bnr-Kicking Horse Canyon-Building a Safer Highway through Canadas Most Complex Terrain
  1. We are WSP
  2. News
  3. Building a Safer Highway through Canada’s Most Complex Terrain

Building a Safer Highway through Canada’s Most Complex Terrain

B.C.’s Kicking Horse Canyon enters final year of construction.

Construction is progressing into the final year of the multi-phase Kicking Horse Canyon project. The 4.8-kilometre Phase 4 of the project, the stretch of the highway running between West Portal and the Yoho Bridge, represents the grueling final phase of the upgrade of this vital transportation corridor, connecting Alberta with B.C.’s interior through the Rocky Mountains. The overall 26-kilometre project, which includes a doubling of the highway’s capacity from two lanes to four lanes, will make it safer for motorists to navigate the difficult roadway.

img-Kicking Horse Canyon-Building a Safer Highway through Canadas Most Complex Terrain-2

"The most difficult section of the upgrade had been left for this last phase, where more than 80% of the roadway is being supported on structure rather than stabilized embankment. We’ve worked alongside the province’s Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure to ensure that the new roadway will provide a safe, secure route for everyone."

Keith Holmes
Owner’s Engineer Structures Lead for the Project

As the Owner’s Engineer on the project since 2017, WSP has worked with its government partners to plan, procure, and implement the upgrades to the Trans-Canada Highway. The company has been working closely with Kicking Horse Canyon Constructors, the consortium responsible for the Phase 4 work, to navigate the many challenges of the project. That has included significant upgrades to hazard mitigation such as rock falls and avalanches, new protection for wildlife including exclusion fencing and passages, and the re-alignment of 13 curves on the short stretch of highway.

Construction works have required complex traffic management, including full closures of the highway for stretches of time during the construction work for Phase 4, a significant inconvenience not taken lightly by the project team. However, with the project less than one year from final completion, the disruption caused by the highway closures will pale in comparison to the value offered by the new stretch of highway.

"The Kicking Horse Canyon Project represents one of the most complex stretches of highway anywhere in Canada. By creating a safer, stronger, more resilient roadway, we are making it easier for people and goods, and safer for wildlife, to navigate this difficult section of the Rocky Mountains."

Monty Knaus
Director, Major Project Delivery

img-Kicking Horse Canyon-Building a Safer Highway through Canadas Most Complex Terrain

To learn more about the Kicking Horse Canyon Phase 4 Project, visit: kickinghorsecanyon.ca

For information on the services WSP’s provides for navigating Canada’s most difficult roadway structures, visit:

Bridges and Civil Structures