CALGARY -- The new Calgary Cancer Centre is now fully enclosed following the final concrete pour on the top of the building.
According to the province, construction is scheduled to continue through the end of 2022 with the facility at the Foothills Medical Centre expected to open to the public in 2023.
"This is great news for patients in Calgary and all of southern Alberta," said Health Minister Tyler Shandro in a statement released Tuesday. "Progress on the Calgary Cancer Centre is a great reminder that we’re moving forward with key investments for the future while we respond to the COVID-19 emergency. Patients with cancer and other diseases need care, and the health system will be there for them."
The next stage of construction will focus on electrical and mechanical systems, interior walls and the radiation therapy vaults.
The province says the project, which started in late 2017, created 7,600 construction jobs and remains on schedule despite the adoption of new measures to keep workers safe during the ongoing pandemic.
"Achieving today’s construction milestone under the present circumstances is a remarkable achievement and is a testament to Alberta contractors and tradespeople," said Infrastructure Minister Prasad Panda in a statement.
"Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately 1,000 workers are working on site each day, keeping this important $1.41 billion project on schedule and budget."
The province says workers at the site are practicing physical distancing and there has been a reduction in the frequency of in-person meetings. Workers who exhibit flu-like symptoms have been instructed to stay away from the site and self-isolated for a period of 14 days.
