Project Update – April 27, 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.

In Alberta, Spring = Construction

The 2020 construction season is going to be very busy across all areas of the project. Adjacent residents will see a significant increase in construction activity within the Transportation Utility Corridor (TUC). Some dust and noise should be expected.

Work hours

  • Monday – Saturday: 7 am – 10 pm
  • Sundays and holidays: 9 am – 10 pm

Overnight work may be required to limit impacts and improve public safety. Any overnight work must be authorized by Alberta Transportation and the impact to adjacent residents will be considered before approval is granted.

Dust mitigation

Dust will be monitored during construction. Mitigation measures may include:

  • Watering
  • Dust suppressant products
  • Hydroseeding (a planting process that sprays a mixture of seed and mulch on surfaces to minimize dust

The construction season in Alberta is short and there is a significant amount of work to be completed over the next few months. Thank you for your patience.

In-River Bridge Pier Construction – South Side

Work continues on the south side of the Bow River for the in-river bridge pier. Last week crews finished placing the temporary rock wall in the water, and this week the area has been filled with soil to provide a working space to construct the bridge pier.

  • In-river berm construction
    April 10, 2020
  • In-river berm construction
    April 17, 2020
  • In-river berm construction
    April 17, 2020

Bridge Pier Construction – North Side

The pier supports are in place and formwork will begin next. Formwork is the wooden skeleton that shapes the concrete for the structure.

  • Looking south at the bridge piers on the north side of the river
North Project

What’s Happening

The Nuts and Bolts of Steel Girders

The steel girders being installed on the basketweave bridge between Stoney Trail and Valley Ridge Blvd NW are 65 metres long. For comparison, an NFL football field is just short of 50 metres wide.

Each girder is shipped in three pieces and assembled onsite before being lifted into place. The steel pieces are connected with bolts – approximately 1,460 for each girder, for a total of 7,300 bolts when all five girders for this bridge have been assembled.

The process for tightening the bolts is meticulous. Each bolt is tightened to ‘snug tight’ which is as tight as possible with a spud wrench (the wrench most commonly used for tightening by hand). Then each bolt is marked and turned with a hydraulic wrench to a specific rotation (either one half turn or one third turn) depending on the length of the bolt. Each and every bolt is visually checked, and another sample of bolts are checked with a torque wrench to ensure they have achieved the required torque.

  • Crews assembling a steel girder and inspecting each bolt
  • Each bolt is marked to ensure they are tightened to a specified torque

Earthworks Underway South of Old Banff Coach Road SW

Crews began earthworks south of Old Banff Coach Road SW. Over the next few months approximately 400,000 cubic metres of gravel will be excavated to lower the grade of the future WCRR about two and a half metres. More details are available here.

Motorists should expect frequent, brief traffic delays on both eastbound and westbound Old Banff Coach Road SW for haul trucks to cross. The speed limit will be reduced to 50 km/h and construction flaggers will direct traffic.