Parts of Highway 16, Icefields Parkway to reopen Friday as progress made on Jasper National Park wildfire
Posted August 8, 2024 11:16 am.
Last Updated August 9, 2024 9:42 am.
Sections of road throughout Jasper National Park are scheduled to reopen Friday after being closed for weeks due to wildfire.
Parts of Highway 16
Jasper National Park says if conditions allow, Highway 16 will reopen to all traffic on Friday.
The highway will open to all east and westbound traffic daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. MDT. The park says these times will now apply to commercial traffic as well.
Times and access are subject to change without notice and are dependent on fire behaviour and operational needs.
Officials say while travelling through Jasper National Park, drivers should note stopping or exiting off Highway 16 is not permitted and there are no washrooms or refueling options.
Drivers are also asked to obey all posted speed limits and signage.
Peace officers will be doing enhanced patrols to make sure these restrictions are followed.
The park adds this opening is only for Highway 16 and not Highway 93N in Jasper or other roads throughout the park, which are still closed to non-incident traffic.
Details on further road reopenings will be shared when that information becomes available.
Sections of Icefields Parkway to reopen
Parks officials also say parts of the Icefields Parkway are also expected to open Friday thanks to recent progress made in wildfire prevention in Jasper National Park.
Officials say the road is to open between Lake Louise in Banff National Park, and the Athabasca Glacier area of the Columbia Icefield.
The parkway joins Lake Louise with the Jasper townsite.
Due to wildfires, the road is only accessible from the south via Highway 11 or the Trans-Canada Highway.
The road remains closed between the Athabasca Glacier and Jasper, as a massive wildfire continues to threaten the area.
The agency says public access to the parkway will be extended from Saskatchewan Crossing to the area of the Icefield Centre near the Athabasca Glacier.
Drivers are encouraged to check Alberta 511 for the latest road closures.
