The Canadian province of Alberta has started construction of another wildlife overpass, adding to the already largest number of such structures anywhere in the world.
Similar to the other six overpasses – and 38 underpasses – between the east gate of Banff National Park and the border with British Columbia and Alberta, it will cross the four-lane Trans-Canada Highway, designated Highway 1. However, it will be the first overpass outside the park, being located east of town of Canmore and close to the hamlet of Lac Des Arcs.
Completion of the US$14 million latest project is expected in the autumn of 2023, said Rajan Sawhney, Alberta’s transportation minister. Construction is being done by PME EllisDon.
The Trans-Canada Highway is a main artery from the city of Calgary, through Banff and into the neighbouring province of British Columbia. Around 30,000 cars and long-distance heavy goods vehicles travel the route daily. As a result the Trans Canada had a history, prior to the mid-1980s, of many vehicle and animal collisions at high-speed, often around 100kph, especially since it was widened back then into four lanes.
The new overpass, about 16km from the gates of Banff National Park, will also include about 12.5km of high wildlife fencing along the highway to help direct animals towards the overpass.
The existing overpasses are used by most every large animal and even migratory herds, including elk, deer, bears and wolves – some on a daily basis, according to park authorities and research studies. Accidents have dropped by more than 80% since the first overpasses were constructed in the late 1990s.
Some of the province’s highways run through regions where few people live but traffic increases in the past five years has meant more work to upgrade routes to safer standards.
