Revelstoke rest stop closing for renovations, but other parking options ‘nearby’
Published 5:25 pm Friday, March 6, 2026
A priority Trans-Canada Highway rest stop near Revelstoke shuts April 1 for seven months of provincial renovations, with the B.C. government suggesting other places for vehicles to park this spring.
The Revelstoke Rest Area (also known as the Columbia or Big Eddy rest area) will remain closed until November during a $12-million makeover that will add 20 vehicle stalls, brighter lighting, extra stalls for food trucks, and improved turning lanes at the Westside Road-Highway 23 intersection.
Also included will be full-flush washrooms that use non-potable water and feature four-foot overheads to protect visitors from snowfall. The Ministry of Transportation and Transit (MOTT), who’s leading the project, even hopes down the road to add electric vehicle chargers for some stalls.
READ: B.C. looks to upgrade Revelstoke highway rest area by October 2026
Based on the ministry’s presentation to Revelstoke city council in July 2025, plans for the renovation project will stay on schedule to finish this October. The closure dates of April 1 to Oct. 31 are posted on DriveBC.
Anticipating the rest area closure, Revelstoke residents have written to the City of Revelstoke and MOTT about where commercial and non-commercial traffic is alternatively expected to pull over when passing town.
The ministry said back in 2023 that it’s exploring options to add commercial vehicle access and parking along Highway 1 near Golden, for example, as part of a series of enhancements to the national transportation corridor across B.C.
The DriveBC closure notice suggests several other nearby stops in lieu of Revelstoke’s. It lists the Illecillewaet brake check and Last Spike rest areas, for commercial and passenger vehicles, and the Rutherford and Shelter Bay rest areas, exclusively for passenger vehicles.
MOTT told Black Press Media on Friday, March 6, that the Revelstoke Rest Area has been identified as a priority location for Highway 1.
“Rest areas are an essential part of B.C.’s highway system, helping to reduce the risk of accidents related to fatigue or the need for people to stop on highway shoulders,” the ministry said.
But it didn’t answer questions about whether construction will disrupt the flow of Highway 1 traffic.
Instead, the ministry added that more information about the work planned for the Revelstoke Rest Area will be shared in the coming weeks. By now, three-and-a-half weeks remain before the stop will close to the public.
READ: Transport ministry apologizes to Revelstoke for blast avalanche disturbances
Revelstoke development services manager Kenny Gipps said the city can’t comment on the project, due to it being facilitated by the province.
“The issue of staging alternative parking during construction (and communicating that publicly) is within MOTT’s scope of responsibility,” Gipps told Black Press Media by email.
However, he emphasized that camping continues to not be permitted in parks or on roads in the city.
“This bylaw has not changed and will remain in place and enforced throughout the duration of the MOTT project, unless directed otherwise by Mayor and Council,” Gipps added.
He recommended that camper vans and RVs use licensed campgrounds to camp within city limits, or consult the Columbia Shuswap Regional District about camping outside the city but within Area B.
