Project Update – April 6, 2020

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For up-to-date information on traffic detours and speed reductions, please visit 511 Alberta.

We appreciate your patience during construction.

Getting up to Speed on Speeding

When spring arrives and the snow and ice finally melt, the temptation to speed up a little (or a lot) is hard to resist. But remember that the risks of driving too fast far outweigh the reward. Here’s why:

  • Nearly 25 per cent of fatal collisions in Alberta in 2016 involved one or more speeding drivers.
  • In 2016, 72 people were killed on Alberta’s roads, and more than 1,600 people were injured in collisions with at least one driver that was speeding.
  • In 2009, 40 per cent of speeding drivers involved in fatal crashes in Canada were between 16 and 24 years old.
  • Globally, injuries from vehicle collisions are now the leading killer of people between 5 and 29 years old – an estimated 3,700 people die every day as a result of vehicle collisions. (World Health Organization Global Status Report on Road Safety, 2018)

Remember, the faster you drive, the longer it takes to stop. On a dry road, a vehicle travelling 40 km/h needs about 26 metres to stop (about two seconds) and at 60 km/h, stopping takes about 45 metres (about three seconds).

Exceeding the speed limit
1 – 15 km/h = 2 demerits
16 – 30 km/h = 3 demerits
50 km/h over the limit = mandatory court appearance and possible license suspension

What’s Happening

  • Looking up at the north bridge abutment
  • Tower crane ready to lift wooden formwork into position on bridge pier

Evening Lane Closures on Stoney Trail for ENMAX Relocations

ENMAX is relocating an overhead power line south of the Bow River to accommodate the new bridge. In the coming weeks, periodic lane closures will be required on Stoney Trail for short times in the evenings. Minor delays are expected. Please check 511 Alberta for current road conditions.

  • ENMAX crews on site of utility relocations south of the Bow River Bridge

Reminder: Bowness Park Closures Start Today (April 6)

Starting April 6, Bowness Park is closed to vehicles and the pathways on the south side of the Bow River west of Stoney Trail are also closed.

For more details, please visit westringroad.ca > Bow River Bridge.

Map of haul truck route through Bowness Park
North Project

Piling Approximately 50 Per Cent Complete

As of March 31, nearly 500 piles have been installed for the 20 bridges on this project, totalling approximately 15,000 vertical metres.

Steel ‘H’ piles are marked for length to determine the depth driven and verify the number of blows on the pile driver

Trans-Canada Highway/Valley Ridge Blvd NW Interchange

There are three bridges on the new Trans-Canada Highway/Valley Ridge Blvd NW interchange: one north of the Trans-Canada, one south and one going over the highway. The bridge on the north (Valley Ridge) side will have eight precast concrete girders installed this week.

There are three bridges on the new Trans-Canada Highway/Valley Ridge Blvd NW interchange: one north of the Trans-Canada, one south and one going over the highway. The bridge on the north (Valley Ridge) side will have eight precast concrete girders installed this week.

  • One of three bridges needed on the new Trans-Canada Highway / Valley Ridge Blvd NW interchange

Trans-Canada Highway/Stoney Trail Interchange

The Trans-Canada Highway/Stoney Trail interchange is called a Systems Interchange, which provides free flow movements from one highway to another. This means that the ramps go over or under the intersecting roads rather than have signalized intersections.

The ramp from the future southbound Stoney Trail to eastbound Trans-Canada Highway has three bridges. In March, girders were installed for one of the bridges, and work is progressing on the second bridge taking the ramp over the Trans-Canada Highway.

No Controlled Blasting April 6 – 12, 2020

There will be no controlled blasts this week. Blasting will resume Wednesday, April 15, 2020.

Southwest Calgary Ring Road

The Southwest Calgary Ring Road (SWCRR) project has been under construction since 2016 and connects to the West Calgary Ring Road just east of Highway 8.

For more information, please visit swcrrproject.com, call 403-212-0565 or email info@SWCRRproject.com.  

Recycling the 37 Street SW / Glenmore Trail Bridge

In 2016, nearly 60 per cent of waste heading to Canada’s landfills was from the industrial, commercial and institutional sector. Of that, about 12 per cent is construction, renovation and demolition waste. Recycling construction waste benefits the environment by diverting waste from landfills and conserving non-renewable resources. It can also recover some costs by re-using or selling the recycled materials.

In 2010, a temporary interchange was built at 37 Street SW / Glenmore Trail to alleviate congestion until the Southwest Calgary Ring Road (SWCRR) could be built. The interchange was designed to align with the future SWCRR design and minimize waste. In February 2020, the bridge was demolished and several components were recycled.

  • Concrete: All precast concrete girders and deck panels were processed on site to remove reinforcing steel and pre-stressed cable. The clean concrete was then trucked to three recycling facilities where it was crushed to be sold for road base.
  • Steel: Bridge rails, reinforcing steel and pre-stressed cable were separated from the concrete, cleaned and trucked to metal recyclers. The metal recyclers further process the steel to meet specified dimensions before it is shipped to various foundries to be melted and re-used as manufacture pipe, reinforcing steel and other products.
  • Asphalt: The asphalt from the bridge deck was milled and shipped to a stockpile on site to be used on temporary roads.
  • Start of 37 Street SW bridge demolition
  • The first girder falls as part of demolition