Weeks after a wildfire forced the evacuation of Jasper National Park and shut down one of the main commercial traffic routes connecting Alberta to B.C., the highway is set to reopen.
The Municipality of Jasper and Parks Canada announced on Thursday that Highway 16 will open to all traffic on Friday, as long as conditions allow.
The Yellowhead will open to all east and westbound traffic daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. MT, and the times will apply to commercial traffic as well.
The notice said times and access are subject to change without notice and are dependent on wildfire behaviour and operational needs. The highway had previously been reopened to commercial traffic and for evacuees to be escorted from B.C. over to Alberta.
No stopping or exiting off the highway will be allowed inside the park. There will also be no washrooms or refuelling options.
Peace officers will be ramping up patrols to ensure the travel restrictions are followed, including speed monitoring.
The opening is only for Highway 16/the Yellowhead and not Highway 93 near Jasper or other roadways throughout the park, which remain closed to all non-incident traffic.
Details on reopening those roadways will be shared when the information becomes available, Jasper said.
Southern stretch of Highway 93 reopening
Parts of the Highway 93 Icefields Parkway will also reopen this week, however not all the way north to the town of Jasper.
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For more than two weeks, a 150-kilometre stretch of the highway has been closed north of Saskatchewan River Crossing.
Beginning Aug. 9, Parks Canada said the Icefields Parkway will allow traffic between Lake Louise and the Athabasca Glacier area of the Columbia Icefield.
Public access on the highway will be extended from Saskatchewan River Crossing to about 50 kilometres north of there to the Icefield Centre.
“Opening the Icefields Parkway to the Athabasca Glacier area will provide Canadians and visitors from around the world the opportunity to visit this area and commercial tourism experiences to resume operations,” a Parks Canada spokesperson said in a statement to Global News.
“Parks Canada will utilize resources from the neighbouring national parks to provide limited services in the area of the Athabasca Glacier.”
The Icefields Parkway and the remainder of Jasper National Park remain closed between the Athabasca Glacier area and the town of Jasper. The highway is only accessible from the south via Highway 11 or Highway 1.
All campgrounds and trails in Jasper National Park remain closed, including those along Highway 93, however Banff National Park day-use areas and trails along the southern stretch of the highway are now open to all visitors, except for Nigel Creek Trail. Parks Canada said all front-country and backcountry campgrounds in Banff also remain open.
That said, given the rapidly evolving wildfire situation across Western Canada, Parks Canada is encouraging all visitors to avoid putting additional strain on first responders.
“Helicopters are in extremely high demand as they respond to large-scale incidents across British Columbia and Alberta. As a result, any rescue could be severely delayed. Keep this in mind and travel safely,” the statement said.
Wildfire update
As of Tuesday night, the wildfire in Jasper National Park remained about 34,000 hectares in size and is still classified as out of control.
Parks Canada said the weather did not provide as much rain as it had hoped over the fire landscape, with some areas receiving more rain than others and amounts between 3 mm and 12 mm.
Crews did continue to make progress in keeping the fire spread minimal, Parks Canada added.
Jasper townsite cleanup progress
Parks Canada said fire crews are increasing their efforts and prioritizing areas that are most critical to ensuring a safe re-entry for Jasper residents.
As clean up and restoration plans progress in the townsite, Parks Canada said re-entry plans for residents continue to advance with priority on resumption of essential services.
“Clean up and removal of hazards is making visible gains, while damage assessments and facilities’ readiness is ongoing. Heavy equipment is only being used on private properties where hazards present public-safety risks or would prevent re-entry to home-owners and insurance adjusters,” a Tuesday update said.
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