Work has begun on upgrading one of Calgary’s busiest roads, with drivers warned to expect delays for the next three months.
On Monday, crews started a major road maintenance project on a nine-kilometre stretch of Crowchild Trail N.W., between 32nd Avenue and Stoney Trail.
Asphalt roadway and concrete will be repaired and replaced. Sidewalks, wheelchair ramps, curbs, barriers and gutters will also be replaced.
According to the city, one to two lanes in each direction of Crowchild Trail will always be open, and most of the work will be done in off-peak hours. Despite this, traffic delays are still expected.
“We are planning to do seven days a week of work on this corridor. Of course the work will be broken up into stages and different sections so it’s not all going to be happening at once,” said Devon Moore, a transportation engineer with the City of Calgary.
“We are expecting to close several of the on and off-ramps to complete our work, they just get a bit too narrow to be able to safely do the work with traffic adjacent.”
The project is set to cost $7.3 million, and is part of the $40-million Annual Paving Program budget for 2024.
“The whole point of this pavement rehab program is to extend the life of the roadways so we don’t have to do that more impactful full replacement of the road,” said Moore, adding that maintenance of this type will typically last for 10 to 15 years.
Crews are due to finish the work in mid-September, with a 10-day shutdown during the Calgary Stampede in July.