Lake Louise Drive Rehabilitation and Modernization

Banff National Park

Construction on Lake Louise Drive will begin on Tuesday May 21, 2024. Summer 2024 visitors are reminded to plan ahead, prepare for delays, and book a shuttle if they are planning to see Lake Louise or Moraine Lake.

Lake Louise Drive is a very popular roadway, hosting about 1 million vehicles per year. The road connects the community of Lake Louise to upper Lake Louise and Moraine Lake, which are two of the most visited destinations in Banff National Park. Over the last ten years vehicle traffic on Lake Louise Drive has risen by roughly 70%.

The Lake Louise Area Strategy, in the Banff National Park Management Plan (2022), has identified this road as a major opportunity to improve ecological integrity and visitor experience in the Lake Louise area.


Traffic updates and project impacts

While construction will cause additional delays in the already busy Lake Louise area, in the long-term this work will improve the experience for visitors to the Lake Louise area.

Important roadwork information:

Roundabout work: Construction on the roundabout at the intersection of Sentinel Road, Fairview Drive, and Lake Louise Drive has begun. Be prepared for traffic pattern changes at this intersection over the next month. Please slow down, drive carefully, obey signage and respect traffic control measures.

Update: Starting September 4, single lane alternating traffic will be in place to complete roundabout construction. Reroutes will be in place for traffic and pedestrians. Work is expected to last 3-5 days.

Work began on Tuesday May 21 and is expected to be complete in early fall 2024 .
Construction work will occur Monday to Saturday during daylight hours, 7:30 am until 8 or 9 pm (depending on the month). Work will not be conducted on long weekends. Some night work will occur.

Expect single-lane alternating traffic and delays of up to 30 minutes on Lake Louise Drive. Longer delays are possible during peak periods of high visitation, which are typical during summer months and when the weather is favourable.


Expect significant delays in the area.

  • Pay attention to signage before arriving at the Lake Louise exit. This signage will provide more timely updates throughout the summer season.
  • In extreme congestion or emergency situations, vehicles may need to be assessed, filtered and safely redirected. This may mean visitation can be restricted to specific users, such as those with bookings or reservations.
  • No user restrictions will be in place on Lake Louise Drive, however alternative routes, such as the Tramline Trail and Louise Creek Trail, are recommended for hiking or biking from the community to the lakeshore.
  • Please be kind to traffic flaggers and construction workers.

Further traffic impacts and updates will be provided as available.


Project outline

Improvements to Lake Louise Drive are necessary to maintain and upgrade infrastructure for transit, vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians on a roadway that now hosts over one million vehicles each year.

2024 construction and repairs will include:
  • Asphalt resurfacing and road repairs.
  • Roundabout at the intersection at Sentinel Road, Fairview Drive, and Lake Louise Drive.
  • Changes to traffic flow routes that connect St. Piran, Chateau Lake Louise, and Upper Lake Louise parking. This will ensure pedestrian safety and improve efficiency.
  • Improvements to Fairview day-use area, including measures to reduce disruption to traffic flow and improve parking efficiency.
  • Updated signage, line painting, lights, and arrows to improve pedestrian crossings and sharing of the road.
Map of Lake Louise Drive construction (PDF 17MB) 

Conceptual drawings


Frequently Asked Questions

Visiting during construction
What will the traffic impacts be through the summer? How can we plan ahead?

Please review traffic updates.

Parks Canada asks visitors to plan ahead, take transit, or book shuttles before arriving at Lake Louise, budget extra time when visiting, be patient and expect delays throughout summer 2024.

For more information check Alberta 511, bookmark this page, and follow Banff National Park on Facebook.

Will the construction impact my shuttle booking?

Access to the Lake Louise Park and Ride (located at the Lake Louise Ski Resort) will not require crossing any of the construction sites along Lake Louise Drive. Visitors should be mindful that the entire Lake Louise area experiences high traffic volumes during the summer months, causing delays and congestion (even without construction). Parks Canada will make efforts to minimize delays and will ensure access to the Park and Ride for those with shuttle reservations. Traffic personnel will be in place again this summer to support the flow of traffic in the Lake Louise area.

Lake Louise is a busy area in the summer and we ask visitors to be patient and prepare for delays while the construction is underway.

Will cyclists or pedestrians be allowed on Lake Louise Drive during construction?

There will be no change in road-use restrictions during construction on Lake Louise drive. Contractors are required to maintain and manage traffic including cyclist and pedestrians, assuming there are no other restrictions in place. Cyclists and pedestrians can also access Upper Lake Louise on the Tramline trail.

Potential modifications to existing trails that will improve wildlife connectivity and the experience for pedestrians and bikers are being assessed as part of this project.

Learn more about hiking or biking from the community of Lake Louise to the lakeshore.

About the project
Do construction plans have a dedicated bike lane included?

The upcoming construction on Lake Louise Drive will focus on repair and rehabilitation of the pavement, with improvements to wayfinding and pedestrian safety. A dedicated bike lane is not in the scope of this project.

The current roadway repairs and improvements of this project are within the existing roadway footprint. Expanding the roadway footprint to include a standard cycling lane would require pushing back the steep slope next to the roadway. This would significantly increase costs and require an extensive environmental impact analysis.

Parks Canada will explore optimizing the existing scenic trail network between the community of Lake Louise and the lakeshore, while reducing the impact to the environment and wildlife movement.

Will there be multiple lanes, with one dedicated to bus / tour transit?

With the exception of key intersections, the existing roadway footprint and lane configuration of Lake Louise Drive will remain the same.

Why do the plans involve a roundabout at the intersection of Sentinel Road, Fairview Drive, and Lake Louise Drive, rather than a traffic light?

Many options were discussed for this location including traffic lights, a two-way stop, and leaving it as is. The main issue in this location is the resulting congestion impacts during peak flows if no flaggers are present. Roundabouts are shown to significantly reduce traffic incidents and crashes in comparison to traditional intersections with traffic lights.

Key benefits with a roundabout include:

  • significantly reduced flagging requirements
  • improved safety
  • improved traffic flow
  • reduced maintenance and operations costs
  • permitting the opportunity to turn vehicles around easily if desired or in an emergency

This roundabout location will be complete with all required signage, markings, and line painting to direct both vehicles and pedestrians.

Did Parks Canada consider restricting personal vehicle use on Lake Louise Drive during construction to prioritize shuttle access and minimize disruptions?

Lake Louise Drive is a mostly two-lane, undivided roadway offering one lane of traffic for each direction. For this reason, it is not possible to designate a lane for shuttles. Additionally, it not feasible to close Lake Louise Drive to personal vehicles for a variety of reasons pertaining to logistics and safety. More than one million people access Lake Louise annually. Many require access via personal vehicle as employees or hotel guests and patrons. Each vehicle would need to be assessed, filtered, and safely redirected. There is no safe method to manage this volume of traffic without using Lake Louise Drive.

Have more questions or comments about this project?

Email llykmedia@pc.gc.ca

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