Outdoor enthusiasts looking to visit Kananaskis Country will now be able to enjoy better access with an opening of a section of Highway 40 that was damaged in June’s flooding.
A 22 km section of the highway between the Peter Lougheed Park winter games and Lost Lemon Lookout was closed in June after it was damaged in severe flooding.
Officials say that floodwaters damaged the highway, with debris scraping the roadway, tearing into embankments, and plugging culverts and ditches.
Crews have been working for quite a while to clear out all the debris and fixing and re-grading the damaged sections of the highway.
Highway 40 had been closed all the way from Highway 1 to Highway 541 after the flooding, but sections have been opened from the park gates to Highway 1 throughout the summer.
With this section reopened, there are now nearly 72 km of road open to the summit at Lost Lemon Lookout.
The remaining 33 km of highway leading from the summit to Highway 541 remains closed pending repairs.
Due to the damage to creek crossings and roadways needing significant work, it’s anticipated it will be next year before it is re-opened.
