Officials say the last major interchange project, at the Trans-Canada Highway and Bowfort Road N.W., is now officially open for drivers.
It took two years to complete, but the mayor says it is critical for Calgary’s road and pedestrian network and the growth of the economy.
“We’re creating jobs, taking advantage of lower prices during the downturn in the economy and building critical transportation infrastructure that makes it easier for Calgarians to move around the city,” he said.
The budgeted cost of the project was $71.7M but the actual cost was approximately $68M. The province contributed $42M to the interchange.
Ward 1 councillor Ward Sutherland says it will help people to get to Winsport, the Trinity development and many businesses and communities in the north.
City officials decided to upgrade the project because the previous interchange wasn’t capable of handling the traffic volumes coming to and from Winsport nor the estimated 60,000 vehicles through that area every day.
"This was one of the key congestion points in our road network and several years along your city council decided that we were going to direct our infrastructure management on key congestion points. So this is one of those that will make life a lot better for people who come through this area every single day," Nenshi said.
The new route, that allows for free flow traffic into the city, includes six lanes on the Trans-Canada Highway that travel under the Bowfort Road bridge.
Sidewalks on Bowfort Road, 83 Street N.W., Canada Olympic Way and pathways throughout the area have also all been improved for safety.
Improvements were also made to Bowfort Road, 83 Street N.W. and Canada Olympic Way. Sidewalks and pathways in the area have been improved to allow safer movements for people walking and cycling.
For more details, go to www.calgary.ca/tchbowfort.
