Quote:
Originally Posted by temple5
Currently 36 st is a 2 lane paved road (according to google maps - maybe this has changed).
As its currently agreed, Airport trail must end at 36 St - yes? Unless 2 interchanges are built at 19 and Barlow, Airport trail cannot be extended past this to Metis or to its logical connection at 60 St NE.
I cant say I am a frequent driver of 36 Street north of 32 Ave but unless some serious upgrading has been done, 36 St north of McKnight is a 2 lane road (I guess we can be thankful that its at last paved).
I am sure the tunnel will be used by at least a few cars an hour in its current configuration, I will drive through it when its done just to do so but as a condition of the airport (this is why I call them duchey) it cannot be extended to its logical connection at 60 St.
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36 Street is just two lanes, but the intersection with Airport Trail is getting greatly expanded this summer to accept the connection. A couple of summers ago, the whole thing was repaved and had a centreline paved.
Certainly the capacity of 36th St is a limiting factor on how busy the tunnel will be. However, for the time being, it has enough capacity to handle the traffic that will be using the tunnel - and that's not because the tunnel won't be used all that much. 36th Street has a fair amount of traffic on it already, even with Metis Trail not too far away. The opening of the tunnel will definitely pull a little bit of traffic of of Metis and onto 36th Street (i.e. those who would use the tunnel).
As I said, users of the tunnel on opening day will include:
-Calgary Transit service between the NE LRT line and the airport
-People in the NE travelling to and from the Airport
-People in the NE travelling to and from industrial parks around the Airport, including Aurora business park on the other side of Deerfoot. These industrial parks are expanding rapidly.
-People needing a crosstown route between the NE and the NC/NW
-People accessing new developments such as Cityscape and Jacksonport from Deerfoot
-People driving from Airdrie, etc to the Sunridge/Horizon industrial parks, Peter Lougheed Hospital, Sunridge Mall, etc.
With a connection between 36th St and 60th St, connecting Airprot Trail together all the way across from Harvest Hills Blvd to Stoney Trail, you can add:
-People in southern Calgary accessing airport, or nearby industrial parks.
-Deerfoot access for more and more people in the developing area in the NE, inside the ring road.
- People in NC/NW Calgary wanting access to HWY 1 East.