Airport Tunnel Rejected Again? **UPDATE** It's built!

[Bigtime]

Airport Authority has APPROVED the tunnel.

Wow.

[Table 5]

Are you sure there are no special conditions about the interchanges having to include loop de loops, or the tunnel only allowing purple cars?

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Are you sure there are no special conditions about the interchanges having to include loop de loops, or the tunnel only allowing purple cars?

That would be the best tunnel ever!

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

Airport Authority has APPROVED the tunnel.

Wow.

Let's do this again?

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

Airport Authority has APPROVED the tunnel.

Wow.

You seem surprised?

Long term, better access to the city (via the tunnel) is good for the airport (see: YEG). That's why I think they were always going to approve it, they just wanted to get as much out of the city as possible along the way.

Anyways... scratch another one from the Nenshi accountability Calgary Route Map.

[Bigtime]

I was surprised, it really seemed like the airport authority was just dragging this out and would eventually take it out back and shoot it.

[Bunk]

Oh, happy day.

[Ducay]

Hooray, an expensive tunnel made more expensive with some pretty wicked fringe benefits!

That said better access can't be a bad thing, Im sure if I was in the NE I'd be less apathetic about it

[Bunk]

Originally Posted by SebC

Anyways... scratch another one from the Nenshi accountability Calgary Route Map.

In the Mayor's Office, this map is hanging in everyone's office. We literally do scratch things off the map as things get done. We may be getting an updated one with some additional things and a slightly modified format. The Mayor takes his promises very seriously.

[CrusaderPi]

That's bunk.

[FlameOn]

I'm glad that at least some of the politicians are accountable.

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by FlameOn

I'm glad that at least some of the politicians are accountable.

Indeed, still think it is a real pity that all that pent up voter anger with the previous council didn't lead to some more turnover. Can't believe some of the old dinosaurs that still go re-elected.

[You Need a Thneed]

Deal is finalized:

CITY, AIRPORT AUTHORITY FINALIZE AGREEMENT

For immediate release

June 17, 2011
CALGARY - The City of Calgary and the Calgary Airport Authority (YYC) have finalized a lease agreement that will see work start on the Airport Trail tunnel by the end of the month.

The City and the Authority signed the agreement Thursday, June 16. The agreement sets out the terms and conditions for The City to integrate the tunnel project into the Airport Development Program in order to extend Airport Trail from Barlow Trail to 36 Street NE under the new airport runway and provide an east-west connector and future LRT right of way for commuters and travelers.

“I am very pleased that we have concluded the legal agreement on this piece of important infrastructure,” said Mayor Nenshi. “This project preserves a critical road and transit corridor for all Calgarians.”

”We are pleased that we have an agreement in place with The City that will allow for the completion of their tunnel project in conjunction with the Airport Development Program (ADP) at YYC. The APD will allow for the continued economic growth and prosperity of our airport community business partners, the City of Calgary and Province of Alberta,” said Garth Atkinson, President and CEO of The Calgary Airport Authority. “We are excited to move forward with The City as we continue to develop the airport to meet the needs of our stakeholders and as they develop their transportation network to meet the needs of Calgarians.”
The Airport Trail tunnel project will be constructed in three stages with the cost of stage one already approved by Council. Stage one consists of:

construction of the tunnel under the new runway;
widening Airport Trail between Deerfoot Trail and Barlow Trail to six lanes; and
extending Airport Trail through the tunnel to 36th Street NE
The estimated cost of stage one is $280 million which is within the $294.8 million funding envelope approved by Council in February. The Airport Authority will contribute approximately 60 acres of land, valued at an estimated $50 million, for the Airport Trail extension and future interchanges, at no cost to the City of Calgary.

The additional stages of the project will be addressed as funding sources are identified and secured and subject to Council approval of the necessary budgets.

Stage 2 will include the construction of interchanges along Airport Trail at Barlow Trail and 19 Street NE and include extending Airport Trail to Metis Trail. The City will contribute $50 million and YYC will contribute $20 million to the cost of the stage two interchanges.
Stage 3 will have The City and YYC share the cost on the construction of upgraded interchanges to provide access and egress from Airport Trail to the airport when warranted by traffic levels.
These upgrades are not anticipated to be required for another 20 - 30 years. This is an additional cost to The City of an estimated $66 million in 2011 dollars and will be shared 50/50 by The City and YYC.

The tunnel is an essential part of the northeast road network and another good connection to the airport and the rest of the city that will move people, goods and services, locally, regionally, and globally.

As well, the tunnel is the most viable way to provide future LRT to the airport terminal from the northeast LRT line.

The City and the Authority had been in discussions for several months to reach an agreement on the construction of the tunnel on land YYC leases from the federal government.

Visuals of the northeast area transportation network are available on The City of Calgary’s website.

Construction of the tunnel will start in the next few weeks and be open to traffic in conjunction with completion of the new runway in 2014.

-30-

Vickie Megrath
Department Communication Leader, Transportation
The City of Calgary
Phone: 403-828-2954

Jody Moseley
Director, Corporate Communications & Marketing
The Calgary Airport Authority
Phone: 403-807-9143

[You Need a Thneed]

Calgary Herald Article.

[Bigtime]

This is just coming in from Twitter:

Calgary city council has agreed to make all documents re: #tunderpass (that can be released outside FOIP requests) will be made available to public ASAP.

[You Need a Thneed]

I don't think there's going to be anything new coming out of the documents, but it will be good to see everything, see how the finer details actually read.

[Slava]

Also on twitter the current cost estimate is $414 million.

[ricosuave]

cost schmost, its something that needed to be done, for the LRT access alone.

[MotoRacer]

Originally Posted by Slava

Also on twitter the current cost estimate is $414 million.

and rising!!!!!!!

[shermanator]

Read this article in the Herald today about the entire tunnel approval process. Sounds like it's been a bit of a gongshow, to say the least. Some quotes:

"Bronconnier . . . put his finger right in my face and he said, 'this tunnel will never be built,' " Stevenson recalls. "And I put my finger right back in his face and I said, 'Dave, yes it will.'"

A 2003 city-airport road strategy confirmed a tunnel beneath the long-planned runway that would force the closure of Barlow Trail. But airport brass and their airline supporters didn't see the need for an Airport Trail extension, and wanted to ensure it didn't cause any delay in the runway. The airport authority believed more in the need for the Airport Trail link from Deerfoot to Barlow and actively pursued that a decade ago.

So the authority stated: If you want that tunnel, find the money and get moving before runway construction begins.

"We've been absolutely consistent through eight years of discussion with many, many different political and administrative parties over that time," airport CEO Garth Atkinson said in an interview.

He sent a letter to Bronconnier in 2005 about the project. Then another the following year.

Neither one elicited a response, Atkinson said

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Lo...071/story.html