Project Update - West Calgary Ring Road

***Newsletter Distribution Moved to Fridays***

What’s Happening in Traffic This Week

New Yield Condition at Slopeview Drive / Lower Springbank Road S.W.

Starting this week and lasting approximately one month, the south access to Slopeview Drive S.W. will be reduced to a single lane for sanitary line upgrades. Northbound traffic entering the Slopes will yield to southbound traffic exiting Slopeview Drive S.W.

Bow River Pathway Closed to Repair Flood Damage

The regional pathway on the south side of the Bow River was impacted during the heavy rainfall in mid-June. The rain created some erosion that impacted the supporting structures. As a result, the pathway is closed to protect public safety. The contractor is currently reviewing the extent of the damage and exploring ways to restore access as quickly as possible.

*Image courtesy of The City of Calgary’s* *Pathway and Bikeway Map*

Unfortunately, there is no way to provide a detour given the steep slope in the area. The closest Park and Bike sites are in Montgomery.

All work is weather dependant. 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.

Connecting the Abutments in Segmental Bridge Construction

In ‘traditional’ bridge construction, the superstructure is formed by girders placed onto abutments. But in segmental bridge construction, when the superstructure is formed by casting concrete segments in place, the connection to the abutment becomes more complicated.

The superstructure at the abutment ends cannot be easily constructed as part of the cantilevering process, so often these segments are constructed on falsework resting on the ground. (Falsework refers to temporary constructions used to support a permanent structure until the permanent structure is self-supporting.)

*May 27, 2022 – falsework being installed on the south abutment*

*June 1, 2022 – falsework being installed on the south abutment*

*June 9, 2022 – formwork for the box girder walls is installed*

*June 17, 2022 – rebar installation for the box girder walls and a working platform is added*

*June 27, 2022 – rebar installation continues and formwork installation for the centre wall is underway*

Semi-Permanent Stockpiles

The provincially owned land northeast of Lower Springbank Road will house semi-permanent stockpiles of surplus fill from the project. Once all the fill has been deposited, the stockpiles will be seeded to minimize dust.

A new drainage ditch will be constructed, parallel to the existing one along Lower Springbank Road, to redirect stormwater from provincial lands into the Transportation Utility Corridor (TUC).

Overnight Bridge Deck Pours on Highway 8

Another overnight concrete pour is needed to complete the bridge deck. Minimal disruption is anticipated for adjacent residents; however, some additional noise should be expected because of the number of trucks and crew members required for the operation.

*Compressed air is used to clean the deck forms before the concrete pour*

*Concrete blocks are used to mimic the load of the wet concrete on the overhang brackets*

overhang brackets — *Overhang brackets support the bridge deck formwork and safety railings during construction*

UPCOMING: Single Lane Alternating Traffic on Old Banff Coach Road S.W.

In the coming weeks (weather permitting), Old Banff Coach Road S.W. will be reduced to a single lane of alternating traffic to pave the connections between the new bridge and existing road. The tie-ins are anticipated to take about 72 hours and will require several stages. Once the connections are complete, traffic will be shifted to the new bridge.

Please watch for signage and expect delays while the tie-ins are being paved.