31 August 2007

New Park Bridge Opens at Kicking Horse Canyon

The following is excerpted from the 30 August 2007 news release on Transport Canada website

The new Park Bridge along the Trans-Canada Highway in Kicking Horse Canyon has been completed ahead of schedule. The announcement was made today by Jim Abbott, MP for Kootenay – Columbia on behalf of the Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, and British Columbia Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon….

…"The opening of this new bridge marks another milestone in the development of British Columbia's key trade corridors," said Minister Cannon. "In addition to improving safety and easing traffic congestion, the resulting economic benefits and environmental improvements will have a positive impact on local communities across the entire region."…

…Constructed under phase 2 of the Kicking Horse Canyon Project, the Park Bridge is a 405-metre span featuring five piers reaching up as high as 90 metres. Approaches to the bridge and realignment of more than 5 kilometres (km) of new four-lane highway east of Golden have also been completed. The rest of phase 2 work will be completed in January 2008.

Under a partnership agreement, the Government of Canada provided up to $62.5 million and the Province of British Columbia was responsible for the remaining funding to complete the $130-million phase 2 project. The federal contribution to phase 2 comes from the $4-billion Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund, which supports large-scale projects of major national and regional significance in areas that are vital to sustaining economic growth and supporting an enhanced quality of life for Canadians. The provincial contribution to phase 2 is part of British Columbia's three-year $2.3-billion transportation investment plan….

…The $765-million phase 3 is a longer-term endeavor, involving complex upgrading of approximately 17 km of the Trans-Canada Highway to four lanes. This upgrade will include roadway realignment to improve traffic operations and safety, and the reduction of rock fall hazards from Golden to Yoho National Park. The B.C. Ministry of Transportation completed conceptual planning studies in 2004 and preliminary engineering studies are underway. Completion of phase 3 of the project is contingent on future federal cost-sharing with the province.