Many people driving through Alberta without air conditioning this summer have been peeling their legs off their hot leather car seats — trapped in the midst of highway construction.

Paving along the Trans-Canada Highway between Canmore and Calgary has caused bumper to bumper traffic, especially on weekends during the day.

The Calgary Eyeopener wanted to know why that roadwork doesn't happen at night when there are fewer people travelling on that road.

"It's a judgment call, there's no hard and fast policy," said ​Bob McManus, a spokesperson with Alberta Transportation.

"In this particular section of road we haven't had this kind of congestion previously, so the call was made to do the paving during the day because it is safer for everyone, including the construction workers themselves."

He adds that working in the dark under artificial light can cause quality control issues.

McManus says Alberta Transportation has now put signs up on the Trans-Canada, warning drivers of the construction ahead and that they may wish take an alternative route.

He suggests either Highway 1A right out of Canmore, which bypasses the congestion by taking you to Cochrane, or Highway 68 — which connects Highway 40 to the Trans-Canada just east of Scott Lake Hill.

According to 511 Alberta, the province's official road report website, paving is in effect seven days a week until Aug. 16.

However, McManus says it likely won't be complete until the end of August. He says the work is being done in the busy months of summer because being so close to the mountains, the construction season can end early.