North Deerfoot Trail construction project complete, but more work to come

The Government of Alberta announced the completion of the expansion of Deerfoot Trail as well as the new connection of Beddington Trail and the adjacent 11 Street N.E. on Oct. 25, 2024. (CTV News)

A section of construction work along Deerfoot Trail is now complete, but Calgarians can expect more work to continue on the busy roadway over the next few years.

At an event Friday, the province announced that the expansion of Deerfoot Trail, along with the new connection of Beddington Trail and the adjacent 11 Street N.E., is now complete.

The province says the new connection will divert “considerable” traffic between McKnight Boulevard and Beddington Trail and increase safety on northbound Deerfoot Trail.

“The $700 million provincial investment in the Deerfoot has been a good news story for Calgarians, so they can actually spend more time at home versus being stuck in traffic,” Devin Dreeshen, minister of transportation and economic corridors, said Friday.

The project, which began in spring 2023, included connecting 11 Street N.E. to westbound Beddington Trail and northbound Deerfoot. It also added a fourth continuous lane to Deerfoot Trail in each direction from Airport Trail to Beddington Trail.

In total, the connector project cost $19 million. This project is the second segment of Deerfoot Trail to be improved as part of a larger infrastructure endeavour.

While construction work is complete, the road and new lanes will open on Saturday.

“There’s a lot of very significant improvements that will be allowing Calgarians to move more efficiently, and of course this isn’t just about moving people, it’s about moving goods as well,” Andre Chabot, the councillor for Ward 10, said.

The improvements began in 2022 with work on 64 Avenue, which finished in 2023. Other projects will continue on Deerfoot Trail, including increasing capacity on ramps, adding lanes, reconfiguring exits and intersections and twinning a bridge.

Future improvements are expected to be complete by fall 2027. In total, the province has allocated $523.8 million for these upgrades.

The other areas along Deerfoot Trail that are currently undergoing improvements include:

• McKnight Boulevard: work began in 2023 and is expected to be complete in fall 2025;
• Bow Bottom Trail/Anderson Road, Southland Drive and Glenmore Trail: work started in 2023 and is expected to be complete in fall 2027;
• 16 Avenue N.E.: Work began in spring 2024 and is expected to be finished in fall 2025; and
• Ivor Strong Bridge: twinning work expected to be complete in fall 2027.

The province says up to 180,000 vehicles travel on Deerfoot Trail daily.