Construction on 17th Avenue in the city’s southwest has been ongoing to replace underground utilities and rebuild the aging roadway and crews started work on another section of the project on Monday.
Fencing has been installed on 17th Avenue, between 8 and 10A Street, and that section of the road will remain closed for about three weeks and then the construction will move west.
Traffic is being detoured around the construction and signs are in place to direct motorists.
“Both the water and sewer lines along 17th Avenue between Macleod and 14th Street were both about 100 years old," explained Quinn Eastlick, planner with the City of Calgary. "The roadway also was reaching the end of its useful life. What we’re doing is, in effect, replacing all that infrastructure to make sure that there’s reliable utilities and a good roadway for decades to come on 17th.”
Calgary Transit bus routes 2, 6,and 7 are also impacted by the work.
“Our focus is to get the work done and be off the Avenue as soon as possible this year,” said Peter Rudolf, Project Manager for 17 Ave. S.W. in a release. “Come mid-May, we’ll have two zones closed between 9 St. and 14 St., and multiple crews working to make sure we meet our 2019 completion.”
One-ways on 14 and 15 Avenues will be extended to 12 Street SW next month and 16th Avenue, between 10 Street and 14 Street, will be changed to a two-way street.
Officials say sidewalks and access points to area businesses will remain open.
Construction on the $44 million project began in April 2017 and the city says the work is about 65 per cent complete.
The upgrades include improvements to crosswalks and sidewalks to make the area between Macleod Trail and 14 Street more pedestrian friendly.
For additional information on the construction plans visit City of Calgary - 17 Avenue SW construction project.
