Popular Lac des Arcs viewpoint faces temporary closure for Highway 1 safety rebuild

The popular Lac des Arcs viewpoint—a familiar first stop for drivers entering the Rocky Mountains on Highway 1 toward Banff—faces a temporary closure as Alberta prepares to rebuild the westbound on-ramp to modern safety standards.

The Ministry of Transportation and Economic Corridors confirmed the plan this week, citing a dangerous traffic pattern: a merge going onto the highway occurs at exactly the same spot where traffic merges coming off the highway. Reeve Lisa Rosvold of the MD of Bighorn said the layout creates a risky merge point. "A merge going onto the highway at exactly the same spot where there is a merge coming off the highway," Rosvold said.

Several near-misses have been reported at the site. Helen Rose, a Lac des Arcs resident, pointed out the hazard as a driver accelerated out of the pullout into traffic. "He's got to worry about the traffic that's in the right-hand lane because they're not pulling over, and you see he's gunned it there," Rose said.

The MD of Bighorn has been pushing the province to act. The ministry plans to rebuild the westbound on-ramp and estimates the upgrade will cost about $1.4 million. "Once funding is secured, we will have a timeline for design and construction," the ministry said in a statement. The province has not finalized decisions or set a closure date; the proposal remains in early stages.

The viewpoint has long been the first pullout drivers encounter when entering the mountains. Two more viewpoints sit along the next two kilometres of highway, raising questions about whether multiple closures may be necessary. "So do you shut all three down? I don't know. That's a really good question," Rose said.