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

[You Need a Thneed]

The city's updated Airport Trail tunnel webpage.

Tunnel Cross Section

Online Feedback form - for letting the city know how best to communicate project updates.

[BurningYears]

^doesn't look like there will be room for an LRT unless you remove 2 lanes of traffic.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by BurningYears

^doesn't look like there will be room for an LRT unless you remove 2 lanes of traffic.

There is room for an LRT and three lanes of traffic each way. However, to do this, the lanes narrow slightly (to 3.5 metres instead of 3.7 I think), and there will only be very narrow shoulders.

[Mazrim]

Not a bad page, but those thumbnail sized pictures are brutal.

[You Need a Thneed]

Fresh Updates from the city's website:

Airport Trail Tunnel October Update.

[You Need a Thneed]

November Update from the city's website.

[woob]

Was anyone listening to the Eye Opener on CBC this morning when they played the audio between Nenshi and a couple of his aldermans? They got served quite handily by Mr. Nenshi as they wanted to re-hash Tunnel budget discussions again instead of focusing on their agenda for the day. I'll see if I can find a link to an article.

Edit: Here's a link. The alderman's voted for another report, which Nenshi thinks is a waste of time.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgar.../calgary-.html

Also, the first comment on the article details a bit further CBC radio clip on Eye Opener this morning.

[Bigtime]

A few quotes:

Originally Posted by Nenshi

I feel like we’ve had this debate in February, in March . . .

Originally Posted by Lowe

And you know that I’m never going to give up on it,

Then Druh piped in, Nenshi responded:

Originally Posted by Nenshi

So I’m happy to let you go back and I’m happy to sit and walk you through (the numbers) if you want, but I presume council read them when they came to council the first six times.

Originally Posted by Druh

Well, and that’s sort of my point. If we want to get it all together …

Nenshi cut her off with this response:

Originally Posted by Nenshi

Your point is that council doesn’t read its documents?

Full transcript here: http://blogs.calgaryherald.com/2011/...-the-aldermen/

[woob]

Thanks, Bigtime!

[puffnstuff]

So here is the question...

Q. How has your commute to the airport been since Barlow closed? And where did you come from?

A. Been to the airport and back a dozen times (yes i fly a LOT) in the past 3 months and even with the construction at DF and Airport Trail, no delays, no real traffic...coming from the far SouthEast end of town

[Bigtime]

I've only flown once since the Barlow closure. Early morning departure (0630) and I was leaving from Sunnyside, no issues taking Deerfoot to Airport Trail (it was bloody early though).

[mykalberta]

I believe the benefit of Airport Trail will be seen in 20 years, not 2 years.

The problem is most politicians have a 4 year shelf life.

In 20 years Alderman will all be patting themselves on the back for getting it pre-built, probably the same ones who b!tch and complained about the cost now.

[Knalus]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

I believe the benefit of Airport Trail will be seen in 20 years, not 2 years.

The problem is most politicians have a 4 year shelf life.

In 20 years Alderman will all be patting themselves on the back for getting it pre-built, probably the same ones who b!tch and complained about the cost now.

I'm really not sure where Gord Lowe is going to be in 20 years, but I highly doubt he will be capable of being an Alderman at that point. How old is the guy now, 70?

[Slava]

So what is the cost of the tunnel going to be? Everything seems to point to the $300M being far lower than the actual costs....

[freedogger]

Originally Posted by puffnstuff

So here is the question...

Q. How has your commute to the airport been since Barlow closed? And where did you come from?

A. Been to the airport and back a dozen times (yes i fly a LOT) in the past 3 months and even with the construction at DF and Airport Trail, no delays, no real traffic...coming from the far SouthEast end of town

I'm up there for work quite often. No issues coming from COP area where I live. I usually go Stoney trail or through downtown when it is not rush hour.

[MrMastodonFarm]

NN: . . . That we should be debating today instead of drudging up older debates that have already had all the information they need to come to council.

DF: Well, we seem to do that on a regular basis with a variety of . . .

NN: And it’s not good practice so let’s stop now.

DF: All right. I would like to ask my questions, um, freely, without interruption. Thank you. Um . . .

NN: As long as they have something to do with what’s on the table, Alderman Farrell.

DF: A . . . .

NN: You tend to get up a lot and say, ‘This is not relevant.” So what’s good for the goose in good for the gander.

DF: All right then. On (item) 6.1, Crowchild Trail Functional Study . . .

Like a boss.

[Ironhorse]

Druh's an idiot.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by Slava

So what is the cost of the tunnel going to be? Everything seems to point to the $300M being far lower than the actual costs....

Up to $295 million for phase 1 - currently under construction. I would say that this will likely be under budget, could easily be 10% or more under budget.

Phase two - in 5-8 years (my guess) $64 million (city portion) in today's dollars. (airport is putting in $20 million)


Phase 3 - in 20-30 years, city and airport to split cost 50/50 for flyover ramps. I think the total is something like $120 million, so $60 million each. Of course, this is so far in the future that the design and cost are certain to change.


I think it was added up to $414 million in today's dollars. But that number is mostly meaningless. It includes a bunch of work that would be required if the tunnel was never built, for one. Second of all, lots of it is future dollars. Thirdly, the type of construction contracts, plus the 30% contingency (normal is 10%), and a lot of money could be saved in phase one. The weather will be a factor in the final cost, but it would take a lot of things to go "wrong" to go over budget.


Frankly, Nenshi was exactly right, council had all the numbers already. Plus, for the reasons I mentioned, trying to figure out the total final cost is useless.


Also, certain alderman still seem to think that the alternative to building the tunnel costs nothing.

[Mccree]

The tunnel is great and all but the closing of Barlow has really screwed Deerfoot. The traffic on Deerfoot while always bad has gotten worse since the closing of Barlow. The tunnel helps east west traffic but Barlow was north south and any word on how north south traffic will improve with a 300m east west tunnel ?

[Joborule]

Stoney will help on north/south commute.

Using Deerfoot or Stoney Trail to get to north or south end of the city? ####in smart.