Alberta’s Icefields Parkway, Highway 16 to partially re-open following wildfire closure [Video]

Critical routes running through Alberta’s rocky mountains, closed down by a wildfire still raging in Jasper National Park, are now slowly re-opening to traffic.

Drivers are being given access to key highways through two of Alberta’s most popular national parks but travel will be restricted by the ongoing fight against a blaze that devastated the Jasper community. 

The stretch of Highway 16 that cuts through the national park will open to all traffic on Friday, provided wildfire conditions allow for safe travel, Parks Canada said in a statement.

The highway will open daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., but access is subject to change without notice. Stopping or exiting off of Highway 16 is not permitted and officers will be patrolling the route to ensure drivers comply, officials said. Entry into the townsite remains prohibited.

Meanwhile, a southern stretch of the Icefields Parkway, a scenic and highly-travelled route that …