Calgary Deerfoot improvements will shave time for daily commuters: province
Posted Apr 26, 2023 2:47 pm.
The Alberta government has selected two companies to undertake the $615 million Deerfoot Trail improvement project.
Aecon Infrastructure Management has been chosen to work on the Ivor Strong Bridge, Anderson Road/Bow Bottom Trail, Southland Drive and Glenmore Trail, while Aecon Transportation West Ltd., will complete improvements at Beddington Trail NW/11 Street NE.
The north-south corridor, which sees 180,000 vehicles per day, will see upgrades that include increased capacity on ramps, adding lanes, reconfiguring exits and intersections and twinning a bridge.
In a news release, the province says these changes will address key bottlenecks on Deerfoot between Glenmore Trail and Anderson Road/Bow Bottom Trail.
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While routes are expected to become safer through these changes, commuters are also expected to save time.
According to the Province, drivers can expect their commutes to be 15 per cent faster during morning rush hour and around 22 per cent faster during evening rush hour.
“I’m so excited about today because today means that people are going to be able to spend that much more time with their family between work – being able to get their kids to sporting events and other things quicker,” said Alberta Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services Jeremy Nixon.
Improvements to Deerfoot will save an estimated 900,000 hours of driving for Calgarians annually once completed. The economic impact to the city is estimated to be approximately $23 million per year.
Construction on the design build contract is expected to start this year and be completed in 2027.
Additional contracts are also expected to move forward to procurement for further improvements at McKnight Boulevard NE and 16 Avenue NE.
More information on specific changes to routes can be found on alberta.ca
