Project Update – July 26, 2021
What’s Happening in Traffic This Week
101 Street S.W. South of Heritage Woods Drive S.W.
Until tomorrow, July 27, a portion of 101 Street S.W. south of Heritage Woods Drive S.W. will operate as a single lane of alternating traffic between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. each day. ENMAX is doing overhead and underground utility work in the area.
Trans-Canada Highway Reduced to One Lane Nightly
Each night from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., until Thursday, July 29, the Trans-Canada Highway will be reduced to one lane at the Stoney Trail interchange. These lane closures are required to install overhang brackets on one of the new bridges.
UPCOMING: Crestmont Boulevard S.W. Single Lane Alternating Traffic
Roadwork for the new intersection at 109 Street S.W. and the re-aligned Crestmont Boulevard S.W. is approaching completion. In preparation for shifting traffic to the new Crestmont Boulevard S.W. alignment, a short section of pavement is required to connect the new road with the existing road.
For approximately one month, Crestmont Boulevard S.W. will operate as a single lane with alternating traffic using temporary signals to complete this work. This lane closure is anticipated to begin in early August. Additional details will be provided as they become available.
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.
Construction to Start on Last Two Bridges
Construction and detour staging becomes something of an art form when there are 20 new bridges to build on two of Calgary’s busiest roads and traffic must keep moving. Planning for this type of complex construction staging involves working backward from the completed project to identify the sequence of work that will minimize traffic impacts, maintain access and balance the public impacts with the schedule.
After multiple detours to get to this point, only two bridges have yet to begin construction. But with the new detour opening last week and the new ramp from southbound Stoney Trail to eastbound Trans-Canada Highway set to open this week, all 20 bridges will be underway.
Traffic on the new roundabout at the intersection of 101 Street & 1 Avenue S.W. 
The previous detour, shown in orange, used some temporary pavement for the access to eastbound Trans-Canada Highway to allow work on the two remaining interchange bridges to begin. The new detour, shown in blue, shifts traffic south to free up the area needed to construct the basketweave bridge for eastbound Trans-Canada Highway (one of the final two bridges not yet under construction).
New Ramp Opening
Early Wednesday morning (July 28), traffic will be shifted onto the new ramp from southbound Stoney Trail to eastbound Trans-Canada Highway, allowing work to begin on one of the final two bridges not yet under construction.
The Bow River Bridge tower cranes are visible in the background 
Paving Joints
A paving joint, much like a concrete joint, happens between ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ (previously paved) asphalt. This seam between lanes is called a longitudinal joint. Paving joints are also created at the limits of paving, or when paving is interrupted at the end of the day. This seam is called a transverse joint.
One lane of 1 Avenue S.W. has been paved, showing the longitudinal joint between the lanes 
Paving the curved approaches to the roundabout creates a transverse joint at the roundabout circle
Trans-Canada Highway Improvements
The road reconstruction near Valley Ridge is at its final grade. The first layer of the pavement structure – Granular Base Course (GBC) – is being placed and compacted on top of the subgrade.
July 13, 2021 – looking east at subgrade preparation on the Trans-Canada Highway at the west limits of Valley Ridge 
July 19, 2021 – looking east at the first layer of compacted GBC
Old Banff Coach Road S.W.
Looking west at the formwork for the east abutment and the centre bridge piers
Plinth Pour
The word plinth comes from the Latin plinthus and the Greek plinthos and means base. In the Greek or Latin context this was often a pedestal for a statue or the base of a column. In bridge construction, a plinth acts as a load bearing base for the girders, and it also creates space between the girders and the abutment to ensure that the concrete poured around the girder ends can flow underneath to fully encase them.
Example of the girder ends encased in rebar; this forms a diaphragm 
The plinths have been poured and are curing inside the wooden forms
Storm Line Construction
Storm line installation is underway.
Looking east at topsoil stripping on the north side of Old Banff Coach Road S.W. 
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe is being used for the storm sewer at Old Banff Coach Road S.W.
17 Avenue S.W.
Looking south at the concrete pour for the centre piers 
A closer view of the pier columns being inspected before the concrete is poured 
Piling frames are used to guide and position the abutment piles 
Before pile driving starts, crews use a level to ensure the pile is plumb or vertically level