Ring Road To Nowhere

[Yellefan]

Originally Posted by you&me

Curious about the source of these rumours... Anything credible, or is it just people that drive by commenting "sure looks ready to open"? (I'm one of them... WTF are they waiting for )

They've got the traffic lights up and working on the old banff coach road overpass as if that section were open now. I dont see why they would do that unless they were very close to opening it up. Annoying to have to stop for nothing there right now.

[Treycal]

Originally Posted by Lubicon

I’d be happy if they just fully opened the interchange at the TCH and along #1 this year. Just getting rid of that construction zone would be nice.

I scratch my head every day trying to figure out why the road from SB Stoney to EB 16th Ave is reduced to one lane. Some weeks it's the right lane, other weeks it's the left lane, but always one lane closed with zero work being done on either closed lane. Then once you get close to the WinSport/Bowfort exit suddenly every lane is open.

[Acey]

The city is very much against any partial opening of the west ring road, TCH to Bow Trail specifically. I'd be very surprised if that were to happen.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by Acey

The city is very much against any partial opening of the west ring road, TCH to Bow Trail specifically. I'd be very surprised if that were to happen.

Do you know why? As someone who would use that specific segment regularly and likely never go past there I'd be pretty happy with that...

[Acey]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

Do you know why? As someone who would use that specific segment regularly and likely never go past there I'd be pretty happy with that...

Likely because they didn't get to do traffic modelling of that scenario and don't want to be unprepared for whatever anomalous flows it creates on Bow Trail. Would traffic benefit overall from it, probably... but it's kinda what happens when it's a provincial project dumping traffic onto a city road.

[Nancy]

Originally Posted by Acey

Likely because they didn't get to do traffic modelling of that scenario and don't want to be unprepared for whatever anomalous flows it creates on Bow Trail. Would traffic benefit overall from it, probably... but it's kinda what happens when it's a provincial project dumping traffic onto a city road.

As someone who drives through the Bow & 85 intersection daily, I would think having 100% of the ring road traffic dumping onto Bow Trail would quickly overwhelm the intersection. You can see a glimmer of that now whenever a construction vehicle or pedestrian causes the eastbound light to be activated at rush hour (it is otherwise set up as a 3 way intersection currently.)

Speaking of traffic modelling, I am curious what sort of traffic modelling they did for a full buildout of the new West Springs area structure plan. It seems like 85th Street is often already nearing capacity at rush hour, and they've barely started on densifying the area.

And then there's this commercial and multi-res development planned RIGHT at the intersection of Bow & 85. https://wscr.ca/development-2/brawn-lands-development/ I guess the silver lining is that it will function as an extra on-ramp to WB Bow from SB 85.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by Acey

The city is very much against any partial opening of the west ring road, TCH to Bow Trail specifically. I'd be very surprised if that were to happen.

I'd imagine the contractor would prefer to do things like line painting, barrier installation, or seeding the medians in one go next summer?

Also, are they done using the pit to NW of Stoney/OBCR? Kinda cool that there is an updated streetview from Aug 2023...it actually looks like those road connections are gone.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Acey

The city is very much against any partial opening of the west ring road, TCH to Bow Trail specifically. I'd be very surprised if that were to happen.

Why? They opened the SW from Glenmore to Anderson prior to completing the rest to 22X

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by red sky

I live in Elbow Valley and the opening of the final stage of the ring road will be a game change. My kids go to Springbank for school and they have been bussed West on highway 8 onto highway 22, which is also under construction for the dam work. They just recently closed down access to Springbank road so the bus has to go onto Highway 1. Anyway, the point of this rant is to say, it sure would be nice if they were ahead of schedule. I drive past the intersection every day and it seems like they are making great progress lately but there is still probably way more to do that I am not considering. Obviously the twinning of Highway 8 still remains but it would be good to see some progress on that. Anyway, wishful thinking but not sure why they will need a full year. Fingers crossed.

I live just a little farther west (south side of the highway past RR 34). We always kind of hoped there would be a little bridge at, say, Range Road 33 which would go straight to the school.

Twinning of highway 8 is decades away, and may never happen if the Ring Road changes the truck flow enough. I made a deal with the province years ago for the front of my property as a set aside for twinning, and it’s been crickets ever since. It’s not in their projected expenditures at all.

[RedIcipher]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Why? They opened the SW from Glenmore to Anderson prior to completing the rest to 22X

That was because they were on a deadline to have it open on the land they acquired from the reserve, otherwise it would revert back to Tsuut’ina. Very different circumstances since there is no incentive to open the West leg early.


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[Acey]

Yes, the SW project was split from day 1 and that was always the plan by Alberta Transportation so the city was fully prepared. The section through the reserve was dubbed the "Priority New Infrastructure" and had to be opened on time or the whole deal with Tsuut'ina was null and void.

This west leg, like every other ring road leg, has no real incentive to open early.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Acey

Yes, the SW project was split from day 1 and that was always the plan by Alberta Transportation so the city was fully prepared. The section through the reserve was dubbed the "Priority New Infrastructure" and had to be opened on time or the whole deal with Tsuut'ina was null and void.

This west leg, like every other ring road leg, has no real incentive to open early.

Making me happy is an incentive. It should be anyway.

[Aleks]

I'll chime in that I'm looking out at it and have for the last month or two...Its all lit up, lines are all painted, signs are lit up, and even the clearance signs are lit up underneath the overpass, the connectors are complete from stoney and 16th as well......I'm another one in the what are they waiting for camp?

[cam_wmh]

When is the 22X bridge gone be done?
My god this delay is comical, and I only visit Calgary every couple weeks or so.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by cam_wmh

When is the 22X bridge gone be done?
My god this delay is comical, and I only visit Calgary every couple weeks or so.

Is it delayed? Despite the steel shortage they had, last I heard they're still on track for the fall 2023 date they always had

[BlackArcher101]

Feels like there must be a shortage on line paint, no idea why they haven't shifted traffic over yet. I remember a social media post over a month ago saying that weekend it was going to be switched. Seems they are taking a break.

[btimbit]

There has been a roadmarking paint shortage for almost 2 years now, but I doubt that's what their holdup is

[browna]

Originally Posted by RedIcipher

That was because they were on a deadline to have it open on the land they acquired from the reserve, otherwise it would revert back mean additional money to the Tsuut’ina. Very different circumstances since there is no incentive to open the West leg early.

Fyp

[Acey]

Originally Posted by Aleks

I'm another one in the what are they waiting for camp?

It's not even close to being done at the south end down by Glenmore. The road doesn't exist yet.

[red sky]

I think he was referring to partial opening up to the Bow trail interchange.