Banff National Park of Canada
Park Management
Trans-Canada Highway Twinning Project: Phase IIIB
Environmental Screening Report - Report Summary
Introduction
Banff National Park was established as Canada's first national park in 1885,
and was designated a part of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage
Site in 1984. It is a place where nature is meant to flourish and evolve.
Every year 4.6 million people travel to Banff National Park to wonder at its
natural majesty. The Canada National Parks Act provides the enabling
legislation under which Banff National Park is managed. The Act states, "The
maintenance or restoration of ecological integrity, through protection of
natural resources and processes, shall be the first priority of the minister
when considering all aspects in the management of parks (Section 8(2))."
Ecological integrity is the lens through which all actions and decisions affecting
national parks must be focused (Parks Canada Agency 2000).
The TransCanada Highway (TCH), which bisects Banff National Park, is an integral
component of Canada's national thoroughfare stretching 7,500 km between the
east and west coasts. The Banff National Park Management Plan acknowledges
this in its strategic goals related to transportation: "to provide
a safe and efficient vehicle and rail corridor through the park that supports
the national transportation system and is compatible with Parks Canada's commitment
to ecological integrity" (Parks Canada 1997). Herein lies the challenge
-to upgrade the TCH to fulfill its role in the nation's transportation system
while at the same time maintaining and restoring ecological integrity in Canada's
first national park.
TCH twinning was initiated in Banff National Park in 1979. Since then, twinning
has proceeded in three phases (total of 48 km) from the east gate (km 0) westward
to Castle Junction (km 48). A new interchange and a short section of twinning
have also been completed at Lake Louise.
Proposed Project
The Parks Canada Agency (Parks Canada) is now proposing to upgrade the TCH
from Castle Junction to the Alberta/British Columbia border at Yoho National
Park. The proposed TCH Phase IIIB Upgrade Project (the Project) will extend
approximately 35 km (km 48 to km 83) and will entail constructing two additional
lanes (twinning) to convert the highway from the existing two-lane undivided
roadway to a four-lane divided highway. About one-third of the Project budget
has been allocated to environmental protection measures, including fencing
to prevent animals from gaining access to the road surface. Eighteen under-
or overpass structures, and numerous culverts will be provided to allow animals
to cross the highway.
The Project is being funded by Infrastructure Canada under the "national
priority project" component of the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund.
Pending Project approval by fall 2004, construction is scheduled to commence
in early 2005 with completion in 2007. Public Works and Government Services
Canada (PWGSC) is responsible for the Project design and construction.
The purpose of the Project is threefold:
- to improve public safety;
- to reduce wildlife mortality and habitat fragmentation; and
- to increase transportation service and effectiveness.
The amount of funding available is not sufficient to construct the entire
length of highway from Castle Junction to the Alberta/BC border. As a result,
one segment of the road (Segment B) was selected for construction. The environmental
assessment considers the entire Phase IIIB, with additional analysis provided
that addresses issues that arise from construction of only Segment B.