Project Update – December 14, 2020
What’s Happening in Traffic This Week
Westbound Trans-Canada Highway Shifted to New Bridges
This week, the westbound Trans-Canada Highway lanes will be shifted onto the new detour road and bridges at Valley Ridge Boulevard N.W. The transition won’t require drivers to make any changes.
Eastbound Trans-Canada Highway Detour
In the coming weeks, eastbound Trans-Canada Highway will also be shifted north onto the temporary detour road and bridges at Valley Ridge Boulevard N.W. while construction on the remaining two bridges for the Valley Ridge Boulevard N.W. interchange is underway.
Drivers coming from Valley Ridge Boulevard N.W. / Crestmont Boulevard S.W. wanting to go east will use a temporary ramp east of Stoney Trail.
The exit from eastbound Trans-Canada Highway to Valley Ridge Boulevard N.W. / Crestmont Boulevard S.W. will remain the same.
Crestmont Boulevard S.W.
Traffic has returned to normal along Crestmont Boulevard S.W. with both lanes now open. Utility installations will continue in this area in the new year and future lane closures will be required. Another extended closure is not anticipated at this time.
Looking southwest at the soil nail wall on the future Crestmont Boulevard S.W. alignment; the existing road is in front of the retaining wall and blue fencing at the bottom of the photo
Southbound Stoney Trail Rotating Lane Closures
Lane closures will be in effect along southbound Stoney Trail this week between Crowchild Trail and Nose Hill Drive N.W. for asphalt core sampling.
Southbound Stoney Trail Reduced to One Lane
The right lane on southbound Stoney Trail over the Bow River will be closed from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. starting this evening, December 14, and ending Wednesday, December 16, weather permitting.
All work is weather dependent. Please check 511 Albertaand 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.
October and November Progress Snapshot
A lot came together over the last couple of months – most notably the ramps and bridges opening on the north side of the project. This month those ramps and bridges will become the detour road for the Trans-Canada Highway, allowing work on the Valley Ridge Boulevard N.W. interchange to proceed. More than 103,000 hours were worked in October and November!
Utility Relocations
ENMAX and Shaw continue to make progress on both overhead and underground utility relocations in several areas on the north section of the project. If everything continues as planned, ENMAX expects to power up the new lines early in the new year, while Shaw’s work will continue into next year.
ENMAX relocating transmission lines from the old poles on the right, to the new poles on the left
Once the utilities are relocated, both ENMAX and Shaw will remediate all ground disturbed by their work, which includes correcting grading and redistributing topsoil, as well as removing temporary access roads.
Girders Galore
Steel girders were delivered last week for the basketweave bridge that will separate eastbound traffic getting on and off the Trans-Canada Highway. Each of these girders is over 60 metres long and is shipped in three pieces to be assembled on the ground before being lifted into place.
Of the 20 bridges on the project, only four will be supported by steel girders 
The girder segments are connected with bolts before being lifted into place 
During assembly, the girders are lifted and placed upright on ground dunnage (blocks used to raise the girders off the ground) by powerful cranes capable of lifting over 300 ton
Carpentry – Putting Together the Bridge Deck Formwork
When you think of carpentry, building bridge deck forms probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. But bridge deck formwork requires precision, and carpenters are uniquely suited to fill this role.
The metal overhang brackets are installed temporarily to support the deck formwork and safety railings 
Stirrups are cast into the concrete girders and will tie in the deck rebar once the formwork is complete 
Eight carpenters are working on this bridge, putting in about 2,600 manhours to assemble the deck formwork 
As the formwork nears completion, the next steps will be placing rebar and then pouring the concrete deck
Hydroseeding Topsoil Stockpiles
The topsoil stockpiles from earthwork earlier this fall have been hydroseeded to mitigate dust and erosion. Hydroseeding involves spraying a mixture over the soil consisting of ingredients like fertilizer, mulch and plant seeds.
A truck carrying the hydroseed mixture drives along the soil stockpiles as a crew member sprays the hydroseed with a hose
Impaired Driving Kills an Average of Four Canadians Every Day
Every day in Canada, on average, up to four people are killed as a result of impaired driving. In Alberta, one in 10 drivers involved in a fatal collision in 2017 was legally impaired. In fact, the odds of impaired driving being a factor increase with the severity of the collision.
Alberta lawmakers recently introduced tougher impaired driving laws to discourage this dangerous behaviour. Please visit alberta.ca/impaired-driving for more information about impaired driving laws.
