Ring Road To Nowhere

[Handsome B. Wonderful]

Originally Posted by Calgary14

The new SW Costco opens Aug 28 at 7am for anyone curious

Shhhhhhhhhh don't tell people.

[agulati]

Originally Posted by Acey

The interchange designs here look almost like their swan song, the things that don't work perfectly at other spots (Stoney NE/Deerfoot) they just cloned and fixed by adding extra bridges. In my opinion only one interchange is overbuilt, and that's Macleod/22X which I feel has a sprawling flyover that relatively little traffic will use - northbound Macleod to westbound 22X.

There are a decent few future planned/in development communities to the south of that intersection though, so it might be for that future proofing purpose. (I'm assuming you meant Westbound stoney trail when you say westbound 22X)

[Lubicon]

Originally Posted by timun

It seems so unnecessarily confusing that way. :\

LOL, I only noticed that particular little quirk in the last few weeks: the traffic from SB Sarcee to EB Glenmore will merge under the bridge at 37 St! If you're a Lakeview resident trying to get from SB Sarcee to the neighbourhood you'll have to:

• get off at EB Richmond Road, and cut over to SB 37th St,
• get off at EB Glenmore, and keep going east on Glenmore to SB Crowchild, or,
• continue SB on the ring road and get off at EB Tsuut'ina Parkway, driving through three roundabouts and a four-way intersection to get to 37th

That'll take some getting used to. I don't doubt you're correct that people will complain about this; I'll wager it'll be some sexagenarian Lakeview resident who makes a local news forecast first. EDIT: But probably not before some blue-hair from Woodbine complains that traffic on 14th still sucks, even after the ring road is completely open.

Isn't this exactly what Lakeview has wanted for years? All they have done is complain about traffic cutting through their neighborhood when Glenmore is backed up, when the casino opened, etc. etc. That problem will likely be resolved now since it becomes harder to get into the west side of the community. Sometimes people need to be careful what they wish for.

[Acey]

Originally Posted by agulati

There are a decent few future planned/in development communities to the south of that intersection though, so it might be for that future proofing purpose. (I'm assuming you meant Westbound stoney trail when you say westbound 22X)

I would say no, given that you can't exit onto 6 St/Sheriff King St from either direction of Macleod anymore, a nice little surprise for the residents down there if they don't already know. This interchange hurts community access more than it helps... but can move a ton of traffic westbound to southbound and northbound to westbound, neither of which are particularly busy movements.

[keratosis]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

What the hell takes so long? Jesus work evenings and weekends and get the thing finished already. In today’s economy the government would not even have to pay overtime wages for construction at night and on weekends.

Um ya. They are going to pay me overtime if I work it. And we already are working dam near 24 hour a day 7 days a week including holidays. Sorry to inconvenience you.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Acey

but can move a ton of traffic westbound to southbound and northbound to westbound, neither of which are particularly busy movements.

Right now, they're not, but once the West Ring Road is open, that will be the best way to bypass the city for anyone coming from the south who wants to go west (i.e. Americans heading to Banff). I suspect that will become very busy, very quickly.

[agulati]

Originally Posted by Acey

I would say no, given that you can't exit onto 6 St/Sheriff King St from either direction of Macleod anymore, a nice little surprise for the residents down there if they don't already know. This interchange hurts community access more than it helps... but can move a ton of traffic westbound to southbound and northbound to westbound, neither of which are particularly busy movements.

Wait what? Seriously? Are you referring to the other side of 194th avenue? Hadn't that just become a major intersection fairly recently? There is also a cycling/walking track along the road. If so, that absolutely sucks.

EDIT: Never-mind I confused the intersection. This would be once you get on to Stoney Trail I guess. Still brutal. So folks cannot access Silverado/shawnessy from that end, though the alternative would be, since if you are coming north-bound on Macleod, you can take 194th avenue to access Silverado (other communities on that end), or keep going to 162nd to access Shawnessy.

[Acey]

Originally Posted by getbak

Right now, they're not, but once the West Ring Road is open, that will be the best way to bypass the city for anyone coming from the south who wants to go west (i.e. Americans heading to Banff). I suspect that will become very busy, very quickly.

Yes, that's exactly what I said a few posts back this morning. However, as growth continues in the south, they need to build out Macleod to a freeway past Dunbow Road. We have not even a cent committed to that project nor is it on anybody's radar.

Without doing this, there's a point at which free-flowing Deerfoot will become faster. Google Maps already has them at roughly the same time and it would tip further in Deerfoot's favour each year... so you kinda end up with a white elephant of a flyover at 22X/Macleod unless you close out the deal and finish Macleod.

Originally Posted by agulati

So folks cannot access Silverado/shawnessy from that end, though the alternative would be, since if you are coming north-bound on Macleod, you can take 194th avenue to access Silverado (other communities on that end), or keep going to 162nd to access Shawnessy.

Correct, yeah. So it's a very good thing that the city completed the 194 Ave connection to Macleod before ring road work is done, or else Silverado access would be very frustrating.

[Fuzz]

Maybe we should slow spending money on massive roads and interchanges for a bit.


*ducks*

[Lil Pedro]

Any word if the interchange at Macleod and Stoney is ahead of schedule? Looks like they've done a ton of work this summer and most bridges look complete

[timun]

Originally Posted by Acey

I'm thinking the fast way would be to go west, exit Westhills Way, through the 2 roundabouts onto EB Glenmore.

Ha, I didn't even think about that way.

[timun]

Originally Posted by Lubicon

Isn't this exactly what Lakeview has wanted for years? All they have done is complain about traffic cutting through their neighborhood when Glenmore is backed up, when the casino opened, etc. etc. That problem will likely be resolved now since it becomes harder to get into the west side of the community. Sometimes people need to be careful what they wish for.

I don't think one can generalize what "Lakeview has wanted", as opinions on the matter have been so disparate, but certainly there have been some very vocal residents who have wanted direct access from Glenmore to 37th removed. Mostly to shunt traffic trying to get to/from the casino away from the neighbourhood. They got their wish, but they probably didn't anticipate the SB Sarcee to EB Glenmore to SB Grey Eagle Drive movement being eliminated. As you say, they need to be careful what they wish for; reminds me of the whiners in Mount Royal who complained about all the "traffic calming" measures in their neighbourhood and wanting it to be removed, after lobbying the City for years to have the measures installed in the first place. The City rightfully told them to pound sand, hahahaha. (I often drive through Mount Royal to/from my office, and couldn't care less that it bothers the residents that I'm "cutting through". Don't want traffic in your neighbourhood? Don't live near downtown.)

Some of the Lakeview residents have been dickish and adversarial, not wanting any access between the reserve and the neighbourhood at all. In fact some advocated for a berm to be built along 37th so they wouldn't even have to look at the Tsuut'ina lands. An entire group of them ("Save Lakeview") subsumed themselves onto the community association board about two years ago, but most moved on within a year or so when they came to realize that what they were advocating—cutting off all access to the Tsuut'ina from Glenmore—would violate the agreement with the Nation. Guaranteed access was always part of the Tsuut'ina deal; if the province reneged on it the land used to build the ring road would revert to the Nation. And they'd keep the $275ish million, and the lands north of Bragg Creek that were swapped to them.

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by Acey

Correct, yeah. So it's a very good thing that the city completed the 194 Ave connection to Macleod before ring road work is done, or else Silverado access would be very frustrating.

I lived in Silverado until 2018. The best way to get in and out of Silverado once the ring road is complete will become the connection to Spruce Meadows. That is a full interchange and you can go east or west at your leisure.

Taking 194th is a bit longer to get to the freeway and you have fairly long wait to turn left on McLeod.

[Acey]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

I lived in Silverado until 2018. The best way to get in and out of Silverado once the ring road is complete will become the connection to Spruce Meadows. That is a full interchange and you can go east or west at your leisure.

Taking 194th is a bit longer to get to the freeway and you have fairly long wait to turn left on McLeod.

If coming from the south or east, there's no way going all the way around is faster than 194 Ave for anything in the eastern half of Silverado.

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by Acey

If coming from the south or east, there's no way going all the way around is faster than 194 Ave for anything in the eastern half of Silverado.

Why would coming from the south have anything to do with access to the ring road? That's completely nonsensical.

There was always 212 to sheriff king long before 194th was ever constructed.

[Acey]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

Why would coming from the south have anything to do with access to the ring road? That's completely nonsensical.

There was always 212 to sheriff king long before 194th was ever constructed.

Huh? Because the majority of traffic going to Silverado comes from either SB Macleod or WB 22X? Okay then, so scratch the coming from the south if you want... driving twice as far is still not possibly going to be faster.

I see now that you're talking about access to the ring road, which is not what I was talking about. I was talking about Macleod, specifically getting to NB Macleod. 194 makes that way faster than driving around to the west access. 212 would not be faster, which is why 194 matters or else they wouldn't have built it.

[Canadianman]

If the 69th St/Discovery Blvd overpass isn't going online until 2021, they are working pretty hard on it for no real reason. I suspect we will see it open up with the rest of the stuff this fall.

[Acey]

It didn't look like it could realistically be ready when I saw it a few weeks ago, nor would it make sense for them to be cranking out overtime on stuff that's actually due while diverting resources to something due a year from now. I could be wrong.

They haven't started building the ramps yet.

[you&me]

Originally Posted by Canadianman

If the 69th St/Discovery Blvd overpass isn't going online until 2021, they are working pretty hard on it for no real reason. I suspect we will see it open up with the rest of the stuff this fall.

Sure looks like it could be done by then; all of the curbs for the new ramps & exits are in place. One problem I noticed yesterday - the ramps to the 69th overpass from WB Glenmore (or is it Hwy 8? Or Stoney?) are from the yet-to-be-completed westbound lanes, but I suppose there could be temporary roads built until the proper westbound lanes are completed and paved.

[Acey]

Originally Posted by you&me

or is it Hwy 8? Or Stoney?

Stoney.

The Westhills Way interchange has to be done, which means the new westbound lanes under 69 Street will be done unless they're building another crossover. I sent an email to ask.