Rockfall risk keeps Spray Lakes Road closed near Canmore

Road still closed nearly seven weeks after June 1 rockslide

CANMORE – The province says loose rock above Spray Lakes Road must be removed before the highway can reopen near Canmore, but it is mum on how much of the slope remains unstable or how extensive the work may be. The section of Highway 742 between the Grassi Lakes parking lot and Goat Creek trailhead has been closed since a rockslide crashed down onto the road on June 1, narrowly missing a motorist, according to an eyewitness. An engineering consultant has since inspected the site and determined the scope of work required, according to Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors.

The department said it is now working to secure a contractor to remove debris from the highway and deal with rocks and boulders that could still fall onto the road. “An opening date will be determined once a schedule is set and the work is completed,” a department spokesperson said in an emailed statement. The Outlook was not granted an interview with Alberta Transportation upon request and the department did not respond to a follow-up inquiry for more information on what the consultant found in its geotechnical assessment.

The June 1 slide came down onto Spray Lakes Road, or Highway 742, from the East End of Rundle shortly before 5:30 p.m. after several days of heavy rain. Large rocks and debris covered the full width of the gravel highway just above the Grassi Lakes turnoff. The closure blocks the Canmore approach to Spray Lakes Road and requires motorists travelling to the area to enter from Highway 40 through Kananaskis Country, which was also briefly cut off after heavy rainfall at the end of June washed out access.

Since the rockslide closure took effect almost seven weeks ago, many outdoor recreationalists have been asking for updates online on when access will be restored. “So this happened on June the 1st and it is now July the 6th,” wrote Gary Taucher in a recent comment to an Alberta Parks Facebook post. “What work has been done to mitigate the damage and get the road open again?

The Trans-Canada Highway has rockslides and the road is open within days. “Don’t forget that all Albertans and tourists pay for this access,” he added, referring to the Kananaskis Conservation Pass. Alberta 511 continues to list all lanes as closed at the Spray Lakes Road

rockslide site, with no estimated reopening date.