Sinclair Creek Tunnel Refurbishment

Highway Engineering Services (HES) is proposing to refurbish the Sinclair Creek Tunnel in Kootenay National Park due to structural concerns. The tunnel was constructed in 1965 to allow for the widening and straightening of Highway 93S and to expand the Radium Hot Springs Pool parking lots. The tunnel is 128 m long, 2.6 m wide, and 4 m high. An inspection in 2024 indicated the structure is in poor condition. The inspection noted scour, wedge-type failures, overbreak, and spalling conditions within various sections of the tunnel. These observations suggest that the tunnel is exhibiting gradual progressive rock failure. Significant instability within the tunnel could result in a blockage, flooding the aquacourt infrastructure and highway embankments. To stabilize the tunnel and prevent a failure, HES is proposing to rehabilitate sections of the tunnel by applying fiber-reinforced shotcrete and filling previously scoured voids with cast-in-place concrete. A Basic Impact Assessment will be used to assess the impact of the project.


Latest update

January 17 2026 – The public comment period on the project is closed. Parks Canada is considering comments received to help inform its determination on whether the carrying out of the project is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.

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Key documents

Key documents
Document Number Document Title File Date
1 New project being assessed by Parks Canada – Public comments invited from December 18 2025 to January 17 2026 - December 18, 2025

Contacts

Kootenay National Park
P.O. Box 220
Radium Hot Springs, British Columbia V0A 1M0
Email: noelle.summers@pc.gc.ca


Disclaimer

This map is for illustrative purposes. The markers represent the approximate locations based on available data. More than one marker may be identified for a given assessment.

  • Location

    • Kootenay National Park (British Columbia)
  • Nature of Activity

    • Water Management
  • Assessment Status

    In progress
  • Start Date

    2025-12-18
  • Proponent

    Parks Canada
  • Authorities

    • Parks Canada Agency
  • Assessment Type

    Project on federal lands
  • Reference Number

    90106

Nearby assessments

...within 200 kilometres
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