Project Update – April 12, 2021
What’s Happening in Traffic This Week
Trans-Canada Highway Reduced to One Lane Nightly
Every night this week (until Friday, April 16) from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., the Trans-Canada Highway will be reduced to a single lane in each direction at the Stoney Trail interchange. The lane closures are needed to install overhang brackets on the bridge. Delays are expected.
Valley Ridge Boulevard N.W.
Later this week, crews will begin mobilizing on the west side of Valley Ridge Boulevard N.W. in preparation for work on the southbound lanes.
All work is weather dependent. Please check 511 Alberta and The City of Calgary’s traffic information map for up-to-date information on traffic detours and speed reductions. For all other project information, please visit westringroad.ca.
We appreciate your patience during construction.
Cast-in-Place Segments
The Bow River Bridge is being constructed in segments using a balanced cantilever cast-in-place method. Now that’s a mouthful! Most people are familiar with conventional bridge construction where girders are placed between two vertical structures (abutments or piers) to form the bridge, but in segmental bridge construction the horizontal structure (the bridge) is constructed in segments.
These segments can either be pre-cast, meaning they are fabricated off-site and delivered to site for installation, or the segments can be cast-in-place. On the Bow River Bridge the segments are being cast-in-place using a form traveler. The American Segmental Bridge Institute has a great animation showing how this works.
The first segments have been poured using the form traveler and are curing under the hoarding tarps 
Segments have been poured on both sides of the bridge pier
South Pier Lifts
A ‘lift’ is a specified height of concrete poured continuously, at one time. The concrete for the bridge piers is poured in lifts.
Looking south, formwork is being assembled for another ‘lift’ of concrete 
A closer look at formwork assembly on one of the south bridge piers
Westbound Trans-Canada Highway Lanes Shifted to Detour
Early last week, the westbound Trans-Canada Highway lanes were shifted onto the detour. This is a huge project milestone, allowing road reconstruction to begin.
Both directions of travel are now on the detour south of the original lanes 
Wasting no time, asphalt milling on the original lanes began immediately
Trans-Canada Highway / Stoney Trail Interchange
This Mechanically Stabilized Earth wall retains the embankment between the bridges in front of and behind it 
Looking north at the new bridge over the Trans-Canada Highway with the retaining wall and bridge pictured above on the right of the photo
Girders installed on the south span over the eastbound Trans-Canada Highway lanes 
Deck joists are visible underneath the bridge
Looking northeast at the three bridges comprising the ramp from northbound Stoney Trail to westbound Trans-Canada Highway 
Looking east at girders installed on both spans of this bridge 
Looking south in between the girders; the ramp lanes from southbound Stoney Trail to eastbound Trans-Canada Highway are underneath
Reminder – Controlled Blasting Resumes Today
Daily blasts start up again this afternoon with blasts scheduled between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., Monday to Saturday. For more information, visit westringroad.ca > controlled blasting.
Looking east across the slope where excavators are preparing the area 
Looking west at bedrock in the slope
Earthworks at Valley Ridge Boulevard N.W.
Filling the embankment west of Valley Ridge Boulevard N.W. is progressing quickly. About 145,000 cubic metres of fill is being added to raise the road profile about 7m.
March 17, 2021 – looking east, the buggy is below the barriers for the detour on the left of the photo 
March 25, 2021 – looking east, the top of the buggy is getting close to the top of the barriers 
April 6, 2021 – looking east 
April 7, 2021 – looking east, the buggy is above the barriers and the embankment is close to the same elevation as the detour road on the left
Old Banff Coach Road S.W. Interchange
The centre pier spread footing has been poured and piling at the west abutment has begun.
Looking east at Old Banff Coach Road S.W. interchange construction; in the centre of the photo the concrete pour for the centre pier footing is underway 
Looking north at the concrete pour; the Paskapoo Slope is visible in the background 
Looking south at the freshly poured concrete for the centre pier footing; approximately 500 cubic metres of concrete was used 
An ‘H’ piling frame is set up on the west abutment; underneath the corrugated steel pipes are visible 
The first pile is driven into the centre of a corrugated steel pipe marking a milestone achievement on the South project
Earthworks and Drainage South of Bow Trail S.W.
A culvert system is being installed where the wetland has been removed to maintain the hydrological connectivity between the upstream northwest area and the downstream southeast area.
Placing geotextile fabric for the drainage culvert 
The geotextile fabric is covered with gravel that will provide the foundation for the culvert pipe 
This large gravel is ‘free draining’ meaning water will flow through it quickly
Stripping topsoil west of Webber Academy
Looking southwest, gravel extraction on the south side of the Bow Trail S.W. interchange continues 
Looking north at gravel extraction for the Bow Trail S.W. interchange