Abstract Manager

Corporately, one of the primary objectives of Parks Canada Agency’s (Parks) Trans Canada Highway (TCH) rehabilitation program through Canada’s National Parks is to ensure safe passage for both the road users and wildlife. To meet this objective, Parks has utilized a network of wildlife overpass and underpass structures and related fencing to allow the safe movement of wildlife across the TCH. By separating the wildlife and vehicle movements, Parks has improved highway safety while dramatically reducing the mortality rate of wildlife along the TCH corridor (down to 88% in some cases!) – without compromising wildlife connectivity to the surrounding habitat.

In Glacier National Park, BC, Parks has been actively improving the safety of the TCH through the treacherous Rogers Pass while also enhancing aquatic connectivity that crosses under it by reducing or eliminating barriers to fish passage. McElhanney Ltd (McElhanney) is proud to have provided the planning, design, tender, construction supervision and contract management services for the replacement of an undersized existing 2,800mm multi-plate steel pipe culvert at the environmentally sensitive Connaught Creek. To improve fish passage, restore aquatic connectivity and account for future highway twinning, a 5m W x 3m H x 65m L precast box culvert was installed, and the existing creek was re-aligned to provide a larger buffer from the Trans-Canada Highway. The numerous challenges presented throughout the design and construction of this project highlight the importance of project team partnership, adapting to changing circumstances and recognizing the end-goal together.

This presentation will discuss the various design trials encountered with the challenging site constraints, along with the innovative solutions incorporated to construct this engineering feat and widely acknowledged monument to Park’s ongoing commitment to highway safety and the preservation of our wildlife.