Work to improve a busy section of Deerfoot Trail in Calgary is taking a step forward following the cancellation of a previous provincial plan.
Speaking at the Calgary Chamber on Friday afternoon, Premier Danielle Smith announced that the request for proposals (RFP) for work along Deerfoot between Southland Trail and the Ivor Strong Bridge has gone to industry, with work expected to begin in spring 2023 will begin and be completed in four years.
Referring to her time as a radio talk show host, Smith said she would complain about that stretch of county highway “every day.”
“So now I’m in a position to do something about it and hopefully we’ll be able to solve that problem for all Calgarians who use it,” the premier said.
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Alberta cancels Deerfoot Trail public-private partnership, citing inflation
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Alberta cancels Deerfoot Trail public-private partnership, citing inflation
“Deerfoot Trail is Alberta’s busiest road. It has approximately 180,000 vehicles per day. And as the city grows, the traffic will grow with it, leading to longer travel times and delays for business.”
The work involves adding a lane in each direction, twinning the Ivor Strong Bridge and improving traffic flow between Southland Drive Southwest and Anderson Road Southwest/Bow Bottom Trail Southwest.
The changes are expected to reduce morning commutes by 15 percent and evening commutes by 22 percent during peak travel hours.
In July, the province announced it was canceling the previously planned public-private partnership approach (P3) for all the work identified along Deerfoot Trail, from Street 11 Northeast to Anderson Road Southwest.
“Current economic conditions have resulted in price volatility and historically high inflation in the construction industry, meaning that a P3 approach to Deerfoot Trail improvements is not economically viable,” then-Transportation Minister Prasad Panda said in ‘ said a statement.
In August, Panda announced that construction for work on 64 Avenue Northeast and McKnight Boulevard Northeast would begin in the fall, taking about a year to complete.
This is the second of the five areas identified for improvement for which the province announced RFPs after the P3 plan was scuttled.
In 2020, the City of Calgary and the Ministry of Transportation published the Deerfoot Trail Study, following a four-year study and consultation process.
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