Alberta Premier Rachel Notely and Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi were joined by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday to announce funding to help complete the southwest portion of the city’s ring road.
The federal government will be contributing up to $582.9 million to the project through the 2014 New Building Canada Plan – National Infrastructure Component, with Notley’s NDP government contributing the balance of the funding.
During a news conference at the city’s historic city hall, Trudeau acknowledged Calgarians may have a sense of déjà-vu when hearing the news.
“Last summer, the previous government announced plans to invest up to $583 million in the construction of the southwest portion of the Calgary ring road,” Trudeau said. “I’m happy to announce that our government will be moving ahead with this project.”
“Early work on the southwest Calgary ring road is now underway.”
Alberta’s NDP government, meanwhile, said completion of the ring road will strengthen the economy and make it easier for people – and products – to move across the province and the country.
“We are helping people get back to work, and we are supporting business activity and growth,” Notley said.
The complex construction project will include 31 kilometres of six and eight-lane roadways, 49 bridges which include three river crossings and a roadway flyover, 14 interchanges and a railway overpass.
The ring road will also include the reconstruction of Glenmore Trail from Sarcee Trail to east of 37 Street S.W.
“Projects of this magnitude require many partners,” Tsuut’ina Chief Roy Whitney said. “The completion of the ring road around the City of Calgary – including a leg through the Tsuut’ina Nation – is one of those big projects.”
The southwest and west portions are the two remaining sections of the complete Calgary ring road, more commonly known as Stoney Trail.
According to the Alberta government, the southwest section of the ring road is expected to be completed by 2021, at which point the ring road will be 90 per cent complete, leaving only the West portion left to build.