Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, obtaining for a first path carrying first network traffic a corresponding first alternate path; obtaining for a second path carrying second network traffic a corresponding second alternate path, at least a first portion of the first alternate path being the same as at least a second portion of the second alternate path; responsive to a first detected failure on the first path, causing communication of first re-directed network traffic via the first alternate path instead of via the first path; responsive to a second detected failure on the second path, detecting whether total traffic, including the first re-directed network traffic, on the first portion of the first alternate path meets a threshold; responsive to the detected meeting of the threshold, obtaining for the second path a corresponding back-up alternate path; and causing communication of second re-directed network traffic via the back-up alternative path instead of via the second path.