CALGARY, ALTA. – The Deerfoot Trail project in Calgary is going forward after a delay due to a change in its procurement model.
On July 12, the government announced it was cancelling the public-private partnership (P3) approach to upgrading Deerfoot Trail due to escalating costs. Alberta Transportation posted the tender for work on 64 Avenue and McKnight Boulevard on Aug. 18.
“Improvements to Deerfoot Trail will now be completed in smaller bundles, prioritizing work on the most congested areas of the highway,” a Government of Alberta release said.
“This project is part of our plan to improve the most congested areas of Deerfoot Trail first to improve traffic flow and reduce travel times. Upgrades at 64 Avenue and McKnight Boulevard will be the first in a series of projects to address the most critical areas for improvement on the Deerfoot,” said provincial Minister of Transportation Prasad Panada in a press release.
The project will include an auxiliary lane between McKnight Boulevard and 64 Avenue and interchange improvements through ramp reconfiguration at the 64 Avenue interchange.
Construction will begin in fall 2022 and is estimated to take a year to complete.
Tenders for future Deerfoot Trail improvements, the release stated, will include interchange ramp reconfigurations, widening and adding travel lanes and improving crossroad connections.
The upcoming projects are expected to be tendered individually with construction planned for 2023.
