Golden
Building a bridge for the future
New Park Bridge opens at Kicking Horse Canyon east of Golden
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| A HUGE REASON FOR PRIDE: Paul Hopkins has overseen the construction of the new Park Bridge. |
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WORKING HARD: Construction crews work to complete the project for Labour Day weekend.
—photos by Tanya Laing Moore |
The New Park Bridge along the
Trans-Canada Highway in Kicking Horse Canyon has been completed ahead of schedule.
The announcement was made on August 30, 2007, 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.
"This is a great day for the people of Golden and surrounding areas," said Abbott. "With the new bridge and highway upgrades, the safety and efficiency of this important corridor have been substantially improved for the thousands of motorists who use it every day."
"The opening of this new bridge marks another milestone in the development of British Columbia's key trade corridors," said 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."
"The Kicking Horse Canyon portion of the Trans-Canada Highway is a vital gateway to British Columbia and upgrading this key route has been our number
one transportation priority," said British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell. "This fantastic new bridge and its approaches are a great example of the federal and provincial governments working together with the private sector. This historic section of highway is now safer and allows traffic to flow more smoothly."
Constructed under Phase II 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 five kilometres of new four-lane highway east of Golden have also been completed. The rest of Phase II 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 II project. The federal contribution to Phase II 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 II is part of British Columbia's three-year $2.3-billion transportation investment plan.
Through a public-private partnership with the province, the Trans-Park Highway Group contributed funds to the Kicking Horse Canyon project and is responsible for its design and construction. It will maintain the highway for the next 25 years.
"This performance-based contract has provided great value for taxpayers by combining stunning design work and top-notch construction along a very problematic segment of the Trans-Canada Highway," said Falcon. "I'm
delighted that the project is on budget and that the New Park Bridge is open to traffic several months ahead of schedule."
"We are absolutely thrilled to have played a role in completing this very demanding component of the project safely and ahead of schedule," said John McArthur, president of the Trans-Park Highway Group. "This is one of the most demanding stretches of highway anywhere, and our team has been able to open the road to motorists sooner than expected. It speaks to the power of partnerships and what the public and private sectors can do when we combine expertise from both sides."
The first phase of the Kicking Horse Canyon Project, completed in 2006, replaced the pre-existing Yoho Bridge and upgraded three kilometres of the Trans-Canada Highway to a four-lane, 100-kilometres-per-hour standard. The federal government committed $20.8 million toward the first phase of the project, with $43.4 million provided by the province of British Columbia. The $765-million Phase III is a longer-term endeavour, involving complex upgrading of approximately 17 kilometres 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 III of the project is contingent on future federal cost-sharing with the province.
Backgrounder
The Kicking Horse Pass through the Rocky Mountains was selected as the route for the transcontinental railway that was built in the 1880s to open the West to the rest of Canada and the world.
In the mid-1950s, the Kicking Horse Canyon section of the Trans-Canada Highway was constructed following the original railway line, with th Yoho (5-Mile) and Park (10-Mile) bridges completed in 1956. The Kicking Horse Canyon Project involves upgrading the 26-kilometre section of the Trans-Canada Highway between Golden and the western boundary of Yoho National Park, to a modern four-lane standard with a design speed of 100 kilometres per hour. Additional upgrades include improved roadway alignments, replacement of narrow bridge structures, and other design innovations to reduce hazards.
The route carries more than 9,000 vehicles per day during the summer and traffic is expected to increase by 50 per cent over the next 25 years. Twenty-four per cent is heavy truck traffic—five times the provincial average.
The estimated cost of the overall project (Phases I, II and III) is $960 million and it is one of the province's top transportation priorities.
Phase I of the project included realignment of three kilometres of highway approaches, construction of a rock debris protection wall, and new twin bridges over the Kicking Horse River and the CPR railway. Announced in July 2002, Phase I was completed in the spring of 2006. The Government of Canada committed $20.8 million through the Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program. The Province of British Columbia contributed $43.4 million toward the total cost of $64.2 million.
Phase II includes construction of the New Park Bridge, upgrading six kilometres of highway between the rest area and the commercial vehicle brake check at the
top of 10 Mile Hill east of Golden, and a new brake check, rest area and recreational access point.
The federal government committed $62.5 million toward the estimated total cost of $130 million. Construction began in 2004 and is ahead of schedule, with the new bridge and approaches having opened on August 30, 2007. Phase two will be complete in January 2008.
Trans-Park Highway Group was selected in a competitive process to design, build, partially finance, and maintain the highway. Trans-Park Highway Group is composed of Bilfinger Berger BOT Inc., Flatiron Constructors Canada, Parsons Overseas Company of Canada and HMC Services Inc.
Phase II facts:
- Number of workers: approximately 175
- Total material moved: 2.8 million cubic metres
- Structural steel: 2.5 million kilograms
- Granular materials: 250,000 tonnes
- Asphalt: 50,000 tonnes
- Concrete for piers: 12,000 cubic metres
- Rebar in footings and piers: 1.5 million kilograms
- Length of New Park Bridge: 405 metres
- Height of piers: up to 90 metres
Phase III involves upgrading approximately 17 kilometres of the Trans-Canada Highway to four lanes, from Golden (Highway 95) to the west entrance of Yoho National Park. Additional upgrades include roadway realignment to improve traffic operations and safety, and the reduction of rock fall hazards. The estimated
cost of this phase is $765 million. A federal-provincial cost-sharing agreement for this phase of the project is not yet in place.
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