Parks Canada plans to build an additional bypass lane at the east entrance to Banff National Park in a bid to ease traffic congestion during peak times of the year.
The environmental screening report for the project is now out for public review, with a deadline for comment on Jan. 27. The goal is to complete the work in the spring of 2012.
Parks Canada did not provide a spokesperson by the Outlook’s press time.
But, according to the environmental assessment, the one existing bypass lane cannot cope with the huge traffic volumes during peak visitation periods, particularly in summer months.
“During peak visitation throughout the year, the bypass lane is backed up with no traffic flowing, and is therefore considered to be in a ‘state of failure’,” wrote Parks Canada asset manager John Rose in the screening report.
“The traffic in the bypass lane can back up to over one kilometre towards Canmore during peak periods.”
Monica Andreeff, executive director of the Association for Mountain Parks Protection and Enjoyment (AMPPE), said this is a welcome first step to improve the sense of arrival at Banff’s east gate.
However, she said, Parks Canada must deal with other challenges, such as getting better messaging out to visitors as they approach the park, perhaps through signs to the east indicating Banff is 30 kilometres ahead, for example.
“The whole idea is to create a sense of anticipation and sense of arrival,” she said.
“They have heard negative feedback that it’s not very welcoming at the moment, that it looks like a border crossing and that’s very disturbing for new Canadians from other areas of the world where border crossings are huge moments of anxiety.”
The scope of work includes paving a section of the existing road east of the kiosks, a new road shoulder will be engineered for the new section of asphalt, the grass median between the existing bypass lane and lane four will be removed and lines will be repainted and jersey barriers relocated.
The work also includes adding six new staff parking spaces adjacent to lane one on the south side of the westbound Trans-Canada Highway lanes, meaning employees will not have to cross over the bypass lane to get to the kiosks.
“(It’s) a much safer option than the status quo,” said Rose.
