The Icefields Parkway near Banff, Alberta, reopened to traffic on March 26, 2026, following a five-day closure caused by a massive avalanche. The mountain road, which connects Lake Louise and Jasper, had been shut down after a large slide buried a 250-meter section of the highway.
Parks Canada technicians triggered the avalanche on Mount Hector during safety work on March 21, 2026. The slide was historically large, covering the pavement with six to 12 metres of snow approximately 18 kilometres north of Lake Louise.
Crews worked around the clock to clear the debris, marking the first time in known history that a slide from this specific mountain path reached the highway twice in the same winter season. No injuries were reported during the avalanche or the following cleanup operations.
The highway is currently open with a single lane of traffic that alternates directions while heavy equipment finishes moving the remaining snow. Officials have put a no-stopping zone in place for that stretch of the road and are asking drivers to use extra caution while traveling through the mountain pass.
