Airport Authority open to allowing connection on Airport Trail between 36th Street and Metis Trail.
Quote:
Calgary Airport Authority’s CEO said he’s open to easing a rule that would dead-end the Airport Trail and tunnel extension before Metis Trail once that $295-million roadway opens next year.
The airport agreed the city could cut a tunnel road beneath its new runway, but only on condition that the road end at the small 36th Street N.E. when it opens.
The city would only be able to link the tunnel road to Metis Trail — and a northeast ring road exit — once it also constructed interchanges for terminal access, paid for by both the airport and city.
Airport boss Garth Atkinson slightly opened the door to changing this rule, telling council Monday he’s willing to renegotiate.
|
Getting the airport to come to their senses on this would be good. The Airport Trail tunnel is useful, but it becomes much more useful for many people in southern Calgary and southern Alberta with the full connection.
The airport is worried about traffic, but Airport Trail is going to be three lanes each way going by the airport. It only two lanes each way currently, and is it ever busy?
It would be decades before there would be enough traffic on Airport Trail to affect someone's airport experience, IMO. Traffic would still flow fairly well with triple the current volume.