Ring Road To Nowhere

[Amethyst]

Originally Posted by 4X4

Not really ring road related, but since the people that seem to know stuff like this will likely read here, does anyone know how long the construction at 68th st. NE is going to last? It used to connect Country Hills Blvd and 96 ave, but they're doing some undergrounds there, and it looks like it'll be awhile. In fact, the sign says 68th st. is closed (instead of temporarily closed), so I'm not sure what to think. It's a disruption to a route I take often and I'm hoping it eventually connects again.

I live in the area and got a notice that it was going to be closed from Date X to Date Y. I can't remember the dates, unfortunately, because I don't usually use that road. The closing did begin several weeks after it was scheduled, so whatever the date is, I believe they are behind. The notice did say it was going to re-open again though, so it should at some point.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by Amethyst

I live in the area and got a notice that it was going to be closed from Date X to Date Y. I can't remember the dates, unfortunately, because I don't usually use that road. The closing did begin several weeks after it was scheduled, so whatever the date is, I believe they are behind. The notice did say it was going to re-open again though, so it should at some point.

Thanks for the info. Do you have any recollection of roughly how long? 6 months? A year?

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by 4X4

Thanks for the info. Do you have any recollection of roughly how long? 6 months? A year?

At some point, that will be permanently closed, when 60th Street continues through. As for timeline now, I have no idea.

[Amethyst]

Originally Posted by 4X4

Thanks for the info. Do you have any recollection of roughly how long? 6 months? A year?

I think if was a matter of months - less than a year.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

At some point, that will be permanently closed, when 60th Street continues through. As for timeline now, I have no idea.

If 60th would begin to exist, the lack of 68th wouldn't be as annoying. With neither, it's either Metis or Stoney.

[Acey]

Final leg is a go.

Premier Rachel Notley and Transportation Minister Brian Mason will announce that the province is going ahead with construction of the west — and final — leg of the ring road in Calgary at an event on Thursday with Mayor Naheed Nenshi, according to a source.

https://calgaryherald.com/news/polit...gary-ring-road

[Lubicon]

If true this will really make me happy as it will make a huge difference to my daily commute. They also better not half ass it with lights and go full build out right from the start with interchanges and all that.

Anxious to see if this pans out, fingers crossed. Another 5 years of construction zones but it's been 21 consecutive years now so what's a few more.

[Weitz]

I thought they were already constructing it down by grey eagle?

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by Lubicon

If true this will really make me happy as it will make a huge difference to my daily commute. They also better not half ass it with lights and go full build out right from the start with interchanges and all that.

Anxious to see if this pans out, fingers crossed. Another 5 years of construction zones but it's been 21 consecutive years now so what's a few more.

I don't think that half-assing it would even work. Just my personal opinion, but with the volumes that will be taking it nearly from day one, anything less than free-flowing would be an instant gong show.

I'll give the province (both current and previous) credit with Stoney - aside from the oldest section in the NW, they've realized that it needs to be done right. Not perfect, but a big improvement over the days where Deerfoot had traffic lights in the deep south!

Sure, they've left some future interchanges (14 Street NW for one), added or changed a configuration here and there, but there aren't any lights or interruptions. The road should be able to evolve in the future, without really impacting traffic (at least at peak times).

Having said that, just watch them mess up the final link!

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by Weitz

I thought they were already constructing it down by grey eagle?

That is what is being called the SW leg. Basically from McLeod to Glenmore. It had to be started first to satisfy the agreement made with the Tsuu Tina.

The west leg is from Glenmore to Highway 1 in the west.

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by Weitz

I thought they were already constructing it down by grey eagle?

Glenmore is currently having some widening and improvements in that area, but I believe that's a city project in anticipation of the ring road coming through. And, of course, anything happening on Tsuu T'ina land is part of the SW section, which is already underway.

[CroFlames]

Ring road was a great idea for the city and it has helped a lot.


Its just annoying how it's narrowed to two lanes in some spots causing backups in the morning and afternoons.

[Huntingwhale]

It will be a glorious day when the SW RR is operating in full swing.

[Lubicon]

Originally Posted by Huntingwhale

It will be a glorious day when the SW RR is operating in full swing.

Fixed that for me.

[Envitro]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Ring road was a great idea for the city and it has helped a lot.


Its just annoying how it's narrowed to two lanes in some spots causing backups in the morning and afternoons.

I will never understand the unnatural choke points that we put into our roadways. It's like they don't plan for more than 2 years out.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Ring road was a great idea for the city and it has helped a lot.


Its just annoying how it's narrowed to two lanes in some spots causing backups in the morning and afternoons.

Stoney is a gong show from Peigan to Country Hills every afternoon

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by Envitro

I will never understand the unnatural choke points that we put into our roadways. It's like they don't plan for more than 2 years out.

It's funny because in this case they actually DID plan ahead...but they didn't act on their planning for some reason. When they built the Northeast portion of the ring road, they did all sorts of work to make adding an extra lane to both directions of Stoney quick and painless. Since the timing of the Southeast portion was undetermined when they were building, it didn't make sense to do it all right away.

Theoretically, the opening of SE Stoney would have triggered the widening on NE Stoney, but that never happened. The grading for the extra lane is there, it just needs to be stripped and paved!

[Lubicon]

NW Stoney was initially constructed two lanes (each direction) with the contract stipulating additional lanes to be added as traffic levels were reached. this happened much sooner than anticipated I think and they added a third lane within a year or two of opening. I assume similar scope exists in the contracts for NE Stoney and SE Stoney so wonder why this has not occurred yet.

As mentioned by others they have actually done a great job for the most part in prepping up front for additional work down the road so when it comes time to add lanes, interchanges etc. the process is very quick and relatively simple.

[Joborule]

Happy to hear the final leg is gonna start construction.

And adding to the echo, the NE portion badly needs to have the third lanes added. It can't handle rush hour traffic.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by Lubicon

NW Stoney was initially constructed two lanes (each direction) with the contract stipulating additional lanes to be added as traffic levels were reached. this happened much sooner than anticipated I think and they added a third lane within a year or two of opening. I assume similar scope exists in the contracts for NE Stoney and SE Stoney so wonder why this has not occurred yet.

As mentioned by others they have actually done a great job for the most part in prepping up front for additional work down the road so when it comes time to add lanes, interchanges etc. the process is very quick and relatively simple.

What I want to know is why they built the new Peigan extension from 52 ST to Stoney as a 2 lane road, even though it widens to dual lanes at 52 ST and again at the Stoney interchange. It's results in some really stupid bottlenecks at rush hour, and there's tons of space to widen the road to 4 lanes. It seems there was zero future planning involved with that construction

Also the Glenmore-Stoney interchange is ridiculous, sticking northbound traffic from Glenmore into a single turn lane with a light. Why could they not follow the Peigan interchange a few miles up which flows way better?