KANANASKIS COUNTRY – Motorists should expect road delays this fall if travelling to Kananaskis Country for a hike in the Highwood Pass area.
Alberta Transportation crews are paving along Highway 40, between Highway 742 and Highway 541 until the end of October, weather permitting.
“Work is during daylight hours, and could include weekends, depending on progress,” said Wayne Wood, communications advisor for the provincial ministry, in an email.
“The work area will be reduced to one lane of alternating traffic, and a speed reduction will be in effect. Travellers can expect delays through the area.”
Visitors to Kananaskis are encouraged to check www.511.alberta.ca prior to making travel plans, said Alberta Parks spokesperson Bridget Burgess-Ferrari.
“As we are expecting tens of thousands of visitors to the area this month, we want to reiterate the importance of parking in designated lots, obeying all posted signage and protecting the safety of workers,” said Burgess-Ferrari in an email. “We also want to encourage visitors to have a Plan A, Plan B and Plan C before heading to the Highwood Pass area.”
In preparation for the busy fall season, Alberta Parks is planning to have contractors managing vehicle traffic in busy recreation areas to address public safety issues with overcrowded parking, particularly along Highway 40. The Highwood Pass area is especially popular at this time of year as visitors flock to trails at higher elevations to see subalpine larch trees make their annual change from green to gold.
September, for the past three years, has been the busiest month in Kananaskis in terms of visitation behind July and August. Last year, there were about 470,000 visitors throughout September, according to Alberta Parks. There were about 540,000 visitors in the month in 2021 and 600,000 in 2022 when visitation to Kananaskis was at its highest, with about five million people each year.
Visitation returned to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels in 2022, with about 4.2 million visitors throughout the year.
The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada. The position covers Îyârhe (Stoney) Nakoda First Nation and Kananaskis Country.
