ALBERTA
Construction of the West Calgary Ring Road, scheduled to begin in 2019, will complete the circle around Calgary and alleviate traffic congestion in the commercial heart of Alberta. Completion is expected in 2022.
The final section of the ring road includes more than nine kilometres along the west side of the city between Highway 8 and the Trans-Canada Highway. Once complete, the Calgary Ring Road will provide 101 kilometres of free-flow travel around the city.
The project includes three segments:
• North: approximately three kilometres of six- and eight-lane divided
freeway between Highway 1
(Trans-Canada Highway) and the
Old Banff Coach Road and reconstruction of approximately
five kilometres of Highway 1.
This segment includes 18 bridges,
two interchanges (Highway 1 and Valley Ridge Boulevard) and one flyover (1 Avenue SW).
• South: approximately four kilometres of six- and eight-lane divided freeway between Old Banff Coach Road and Highway 8, with seven bridges and four interchanges (Old Banff Coach Road, Bow Trail, 17 Avenue SW and Highway 8).
• Twinning the Bow River Bridge on the northwest segment of the ring road and widening about two kilometres of Northwest Stoney Trail from Crowchild Trail to Scenic Acres Link.
Premier Rachel Notley said, “Completing the Calgary Ring Road is one more example of our government helping to strengthen Alberta’s economy and support businesses. Once complete, this freeway will help get Alberta’s goods to market across the province, in other parts of the country and around the world.”
The Honourable Brian Mason, Minister of Transportation, stated, “The West Calgary Ring Road, expected to accommodate approximately 80,000 vehicles per day, is the final piece of a decades-long plan to provide improved travel options to the Calgary region for residents, travellers and commercial carriers alike. The construction of the West Calgary Ring Road is expected to support up to 2,600 direct construction jobs.
“Completing the ring road is critical to the continued growth and economic prosperity of the Calgary region and all of Alberta. It will also improve safety and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by relieving congestion on city streets.”