Project Update - September 20, 2021 - West Calgary Ring Road

What’s Happening in Traffic This Week

Southbound Stoney Trail Reduced to One Lane Overnight

From 7 p.m. on Tuesday, September 21, to 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday, September 22, the right lane will be closed on southbound Stoney Trail over the Bow River. Materials are being moved from the north construction site to the south construction site. A crane will load and unload trucks on the bridge

UPCOMING: Partial Closure on Lower Springbank Road

A portion of Lower Springbank Road will be closed just south of Township Road 242 for approximately two weeks as part of 17 Avenue S.W. interchange construction. Township Road 242 will re-open at the same time.

The closure is anticipated to begin later this week or early next week but is weather dependent. Please watch for signage in the area.

Construction and Mother Nature

Even though daylight and temperatures are waning, construction continues, albeit at a slower pace. Autumn weather still allows for many activities to continue, but weather changes have a greater and longer lasting impact. If it rains or snows, there’s less daylight and less heat so it takes much longer to resume the work.

Construction is always weather dependent, but even more so in the fall. We will continue to provide timing for traffic impacts to the best of our ability, but like the weather, dates are likely to change.

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.

We appreciate your patience during construction.

109 Street & Crestmont Boulevard / 1 Avenue S.W.

Detour and construction staging is the art and science of planning the sequence of work to keep traffic flowing while providing access to the construction areas.

Earlier this summer, eastbound traffic from Valley Ridge Boulevard N.W. was shifted to West Valley Road S.W. using a temporary detour which allowed construction on the eastbound basketweave bridge to begin.

More recently, the exit ramp from eastbound Trans-Canada Highway to Valley Ridge Boulevard N.W. was shifted in preparation for the next detour stage – opening the new Crestmont Boulevard, 109 Street and 1 Avenue S.W.

This will allow construction on the southeast interchange ramps and south roundabout to begin.

Pavement Markings

Pavement markings may seem insignificant because they are so common and simple, but they play an important role in controlling traffic so roads function safely and efficiently. The driving public relies heavily on pavement markings for guidance and information. Like any language of symbols, if the markings aren’t consistent and uniform, they lose their meaning.

There are specifications for all aspects of pavement markings; length, width, distance between them, colour, material, and more.

*These lane markings must be 10 cm wide*

Subdrains

Subdrains are part of the stormwater management system. They collect groundwater and convey it to larger pipes. For transportation infrastructure projects, the pipes are typically a smaller diameter in a shallow trench. The pipes are permeable and allow water in but keep gravel and debris out.

Key map — Digging the trench for the subdrain

Stoney Trail

Looking south at the paved northbound lanes

Old Banff Coach Road S.W.

Falsework is a temporary structure used to support the permanent structure until it is self-supporting. The overhang brackets used to form the bridge deck are a type of falsework.

*Overhang brackets support a working platform used to form the bridge deck*

Storm Pond Construction

Excavation is underway for a stormwater management pond west of the new Stoney Trail / Highway 8 interchange.

Construction Crossing Signals are Driver Activated

There have been many cases of drivers failing stop at the Old Banff Coach Road S.W. construction crossing. The traffic signals at the construction crossings are driver activated, which means they only turn red when a vehicle is coming. They will not turn red unless the approaching construction vehicle driver activates them.

The trucks using these crossings are big vehicles hauling heavy loads. Some of the grades approaching the crossings are steep so you may not see the truck coming, but it is. A collision between a passenger vehicle and a commercial vehicle hauling a heavy load will be severe and the passenger vehicle will bear the brunt of the force.

Please obey the traffic signals. We understand traffic delays are frustrating and we work hard to keep traffic moving, but we must get the job done to improve traffic for the long-term.