Mudslide closes Trans-Canada Highway west of Banff

Banff RCMP says a mudslide has closed the Trans-Canada Highway west of Banff, Alta. on Friday.

The highway was closed in both directions for a few hours beginning just after 3:30 p.m. Friday afternoon, but eastbound lanes had re-opened by 6:20 p.m.

Police said westbound traffic remained closed for an undetermined amount of time as cleanup efforts got underway.

Parks Canada spokesman Mark Merchant says it doesn't appear that anyone has been injured in the slide but he says they won't know for certain until a thorough sweep of the area has been done.

Merchant said he oesn't know the full extent of the slide because crews are still at the scene.

Motorists who need to get around the slide face detours of hundreds of kilometres.

With files from the Canadian Press