City officials are celebrating the completion of a major milestone in an innovative new interchange that will be unlike anything Calgarians have ever seen.
Calgary’s first-ever divergent diamond interchange will be located at Macleod Trail and 162 Avenue South.
A diverging diamond interchange (DDI) is designed in such a way that the two directions of traffic on 162 Avenue will briefly cross to the opposite side of each other on bridges over Macleod Trail. This allows for more effective traffic flow at the signalized intersections within the interchange, and for left-turning vehicles to proceed without crossing opposing traffic.
READ MORE: Calgary to construct innovative interchange on Macleod Trail
On Friday, the City of Calgary will mark the opening of the south side overpass bridge detour, which – because of the removal of traffic lights on Macleod Trail – will result in the free flow of traffic at that location.
The completed south side overpass will handle both east and west traffic over the next 12 months while crews construct the north-side overpass. It officially opens on the weekend.
WATCH: This YouTube video shows the design for an innovative new diamond interchange for Macleod Trail and 162 Ave, South.
The interchange design, first seen in North America in the state of Missouri, was once hailed by Popular Science magazine as one of the “100 best innovations of 2009.” Since then, it has been used in a number of locations in the United States, and in various countries around the world.
When completed, Calgary’s DDI will be the first built in any urban centre in Canada.
The estimated cost for the project is $65 million.