CP MOUN 029.50 TO 032.60 – KHCP 4

CLIENT: Canadian Pacific (CP)

LOCATION: Golden, British Columbia, Canada

BGC was retained by the Canadian Pacific (CP) in 2018 to assume the role of CP owner’s geotechnical engineer (OGE) for the review of the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MoTI) proposal to complete phase 4 of the Kicking Horse Canyon Project (KHCP 4). The project includes upgrading the last 4 km of the existing high gradient, winding, two-lane, 60 to 80 kmph section of the Trans-Canada Highway through the Kicking Horse Canyon to a lower gradient, 4-lane, 100 kmph highway. The existing and proposed highways are between 120 and 300 metres north of and between 140 and 170 metres above the CP Mountain Subdivision track; that is a few metres above the high-water mark of the Kicking Horse River. This project is particularly challenging since the existing and proposed highway, and the railway below, traverse multiple several hundred thousand cubic metre landslides, several hundred metres of rock fall-prone slopes, and numerous debris flow and avalanche paths.

This section of the CP railway is known to have a history of rock falls, debris flows, avalanches, landslides, and river erosion hazards. CP required that MoTI prevent any increase in frequency or magnitude of these types of events occurring during or following the construction of the KHCP 4.

BGC has completed a hazard assessment of the existing CP right-of-way and an OGE review of the MoTI reference concept design for CP. We also contributed to a risk assessment of the reference concept design, completed an OGE review of the three design-build proponent’s conceptual designs, and completed the OGE review of the successful bidder, Kicking Horse Canyon Constructors, proposed design. BGC is also providing an OGE review of construction activities as the project progresses to completion in 2023.