Calgary Deerfoot Trail to receive improvements

The Alberta government is adding another layer of development toward Calgary’s Deerfoot Trail, focusing on “key bottlenecks” on the major road.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith made the announcement at The Westin Hotel for the Calgary Chamber of Commerce meeting in front of business leaders in the city Friday.

Smith says because the road is “technically a provincial highway,” the province “can’t hand it over to Calgary in the condition it’s in.”

“Deerfoot trail is Alberta’s busiest road. It has about 180,000 vehicles on it per day. And as the city grows, traffic is going to grow with it, leading to longer travel times and delays for business,” Smith said.

“The Government of Alberta is moving ahead with major improvements to Deerfoot Trail that will ease congestion for passengers and spur economic growth in the region.”

Smith says the investment will target gaps in key areas between Glenmore Trail and Anderson Road — Bow Bottom Trail connection where “congestion is greatest.”

“Those of you who listened to me on the radio know that I would complain about that every single day,” Smith said.

The proposed development will add multiple interchanges and extra lanes, along with seven new bridges.

Smith says the request for proposal has been issued, and hopes to see a contract in place by spring 2023. Construction is expected to begin in 2023, and be completed by 2027.

She adds this will help parents and families and will ensure that “ambulances can get patients to hospitals faster for life-saving treatment.”

The province predicts the improvements will reduce commutes by 15 per cent during peak morning hours, and by 22 per cent during peak evening hours. It says travelers will save “about 900,000 hours a year,” and will provide an economic boost of about $23 million.

This announcement comes as the major highway is expected to see further improvement on 64 Avenue NE and McKnight Boulevard, after a construction request tender was made available in August.

Read More: Calgary Deerfoot Trail construction to start in fall

Construction was initially expected to start in the fall of 2022, but the government now says construction will occur in 2023.

The province says the Deerfoot Trail project will be completed in smaller bundles, and will focus on the most congested areas of the highway.

Any future improvements for Deerfoot Trail will go through a construction tender process, which will include an interchange adjustment, widening and adding travel lanes, and improving crossroad conditions.