Project to upgrade stretch of Deerfoot Trail in NE Calgary is complete
Posted Oct 25, 2024 7:08 am.
Last Updated Oct 25, 2024 6:58 pm.
The second segment of a $700 million provincial project to upgrade Calgary’s Deerfoot Trail is complete.
The Beddington Trail and 11 Street project connects 11 Street NE to westbound Beddington Trail and northbound Deerfoot Trail. Upgrades also include adding a fourth continuous lane to Deerfoot in each direction from Airport Trail to Beddington.
Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors, Devin Dreeshen said the new section of highway, where construction began last spring, will be open to drivers as of Saturday.
“It’s great to see provincial construction wrap up on this critical road for Calgary drivers. I’d like to thank the contractors for building a wider, more efficient Deerfoot and also thank Calgarians for their patience during construction,” he said. “This project will benefit so many families that commute everyday and is another example of how we’re making life better for Albertans.”
The province says diverting commuter, industrial, and airport traffic between McKnight Boulevard and Beddington Trail to the new connection will increase safety and lower weaving on northbound Deerfoot.
Deerfoot Trail is Alberta’s busiest road, with around 180,000 vehicles travelling on it per day. Despite being in Calgary city limits, the road is managed by the province.
Aecon Transportation West Ltd. was awarded the contracts to complete the work at Beddington and 11 Street for a total of $19 million.
The province announced in 2022 its plans to undertake hundreds of millions worth of improvements to the highway, including at the Ivor Strong Bridge, Anderson Road/Bow Bottom Trail, Southland Drive and Glenmore Trail, and Beddington Trail NW/11 Street NE.
The first part of the project to be finished was at 64 Avenue and Deerfoot Trail, which started in 2022 and was completed in 2023.
There are still several sections to complete, all with varying timelines.
Work on McKnight Boulevard began last spring and is set to be finished in the fall of 2025. The timeline is similar for 16 Avenue NE, where construction was started this spring and is set to be completed next fall.
The twinning of the Ivor Strong Bridge is set to be completed by fall 2027 by Aecon Infrastructure Management.
Work on Bow Bottom Trail/Anderson Road, Southland Drive, and Glenmore Trail started last spring and is also expected to be done in the fall of 2027.
The province says Calgarians would save an estimated 900,000 hours of driving per year, claiming drivers would see a 15 per cent reduction in their morning rush hour commutes and a 22 per cent reduction during the evening rush hour, following the upgrades.
The economic impact to Calgary, according to the province, is estimated to be $23 million per year.
