Bow River Bridge
Twinning
What’s happening
Construction notices
About the project
Overview
The northwest segment of Stoney Trail is currently under construction as part of the Calgary Ring Road. The project includes:
- A new bridge over the Bow River, constructed west of the existing bridge, to accommodate additional lanes on the ring road when the west section is complete
- Constructing the new southbound lanes on either side of the new Bow River bridge
- Road widening on southbound Stoney Trail from north of Crowchild Trail to south of Scenic Acres Link NW to provide new ramp lanes (collector-distributor) and three continuous lanes on Stoney Trail
- Reconfiguring the ramp from westbound Crowchild Trail to southbound Stoney Trail to align with the wider road
- A new bridge over Scenic Acres Link NW for the exit ramp from southbound Stoney Trail to Tuscany Boulevard / Scenic Acres Link NW
1
2
3
4
1
New pathway alignment that will permanently replace Section 2
2
Pathway permanently closed to accommodate new bridge
3
New permanent staircase with bicycle ramp to provide alternative access while Section 4 is temporarily closed during bridge construction (2020 – 2022)
4
Closed in early 2020 to accommodate bridge construction; reopens in 2022 when bridge is complete
Pathways
The existing pathway on the south side of the Bow River (labelled 2 on the plan) will be realigned (labelled 1 on the plan) to accommodate the new Bow River Bridge. The new pathway alignment was selected to minimize impacts to the surrounding environment and has been approved by The City of Calgary.
The section of pathway labelled ‘4’ is underneath the new Stoney Trail NW bridge and will be temporarily closed to protect public safety during construction. A new permanent timber staircase with bicycle ramp (labelled 3 on the plan) will provide alternative access until section 4 is reopened in 2022.
For approximately one month in early 2020 (currently planned for February 2020), the entire pathway will be closed to realign the pathways and for other preparatory work for bridge construction.
Pathway users can expect to see timber clearing, excavation, ground profiling / grading and other associated works in this area. For any pathway changes or closures appropriate signage will be posted in advance.
Please note that The City of Calgary plans, designs and maintains the pathway network and Alberta Transportation provides connectivity through the Transportation Utility Corridor. Once the project is complete, the pathways under the bridges will be maintained by The City of Calgary.
Tower Crane Safety
Two tower cranes have been installed on the north side of the Bow River for construction on the new Bow River Bridge. In 2021 these cranes will be moved to the south side of the river for the remainder of the project. The cranes are used to efficiently move materials up to the elevated work areas. The cranes were installed on concrete foundations designed and approved by a professional engineer to meet all safety standards, and once the cranes were erected they were fully inspected by the crane supplier.
When not in use, the hooks used for picking up loads are moved closer to the tower and the cranes are required to be in “weathervane” mode, which means they are free to rotate in the wind. It is unsafe for the cranes to be in a locked position when wind speeds exceed 50 km/hr, so they are set in weathervane mode in the event of unexpected high winds. Because prevailing winds in this area come from the west, the booms (crane arms) are often over Stoney Trail when not in use. These should not be of any concern to motorists as the structural integrity and safety aspects of these cranes are reviewed and inspected by appropriately qualified professionals.
When the cranes are in use, it is the contractor’s policy not to lift any loads over Stoney Trail.
Take a closer look at
The project plans
