Naming ceremony officially marks start of construction on Southwest section of Calgary Ring Road

CALGARY – Today officially commemorated the start of construction on the southwest section of the Calgary Ring Road and the re-naming of a portion of the road “Tsuut’ina Trail”.

This work represents the start of one of two remaining sections of the larger Calgary Ring Road, which will make it easier for people and products to move across the City and the Province. Major construction got underway on the project in 2017 and the project is expected to be substantially complete and open to traffic in 2021.

“The Government of Canada recognizes that strategic investments in transportation infrastructure support local, national and international trade. This new highway will reduce congestion and commute times, so that Calgarians spend less time on the road and more time with their loved ones. When completed, the Southwest Calgary Ring Road, part of which will be named Tsuut’ina Trail, will increase access to goods and services and spur new development across the City,” said Kent Hehr, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defense, on behalf of the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities.

Quick facts

• The Government of Canada will be contributing more than $350 million to this project through the 2014 New Building Canada Plan – National Infrastructure Component, with the Province of Alberta contributing the balance of the funding.
• The Government of Canada will invest more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada’s rural and northern communities.
• More than $10.1 billion of this funding will support trade and transportation projects, including $5 billion that will be available for investment through the Canada Infrastructure Bank.
• As part of the Government of Alberta’s four-year Capital Plan, the province will be investing more than $5 billion in Alberta’s provincial highway network to help connect communities, enhance access to markets and services and improve the quality of life for all Albertans.
• The total value of the Southwest Calgary Ring Road (SWCRR) is $2.2 billion and the Government of Alberta’s Budget 2017 includes $1.4 billion of this total cost.
• Alberta Transportation has contracted Mountain View Partners to design, construct and maintain and operate the road for 30 years.
• The SWCRR project involves construction between Highway 8 (Range Road 25/Lott Creek Boulevard) and the intersection of Highway 22X and Macleod Trail SE. It includes approximately 31 kilometres of new six and eight-lane divided highway with 14 interchanges, one road flyover, one railway crossing (flyover), 47 bridges, two bridge rehabilitations, three river crossings, and two river realignments (Elbow River and Fish Creek).
• Tsuut’ina Trail extends roughly 10 kilometres through former Tsuut’ina land, between Fish Creek and Glenmore Trail.
• Current traffic volumes on the existing sections of the ring road average between 35,000 and 65,000 vehicles a day (Annual Average Daily Traffic).
• The project will be designed and constructed to accommodate traffic volumes projected for the next 30 years, estimated to be between 80,000 and upwards of 100,000 vehicles per day on some sections. These traffic volumes would be similar to what is now travelling on Deerfoot Trail, north of Beddington Trail or south of 130 Avenue. Traffic levels on this new section of the ring road will vary, and will be dependent on what growth occurs in the Calgary area.

SOURCE Infrastructure Canada