Motorists commuting to Calgary on Friday and into the weekend will have to adjust their plans, as major upcoming ramp closures have been announced for Deerfoot Trail as part of the ongoing Deerfoot Trail Improvements project.
"The ramps from eastbound Anderson Road and northbound Bow Bottom Trail to northbound Deerfoot Trail will be closed from [Friday] April 19 to April 22," a traffic advisory from the province stated.
- Ramps will be closed at:
- Deerfoot Trail northbound and southbound from Anderson Road southeast to 24 Street northeast
- Eastbound Anderson Road southeast from Acadia Drive southeast to Deerfoot Trail
- Northbound Bow Bottom Trail southeast from Diamond Drive southeast to Deerfoot Trail
- 24-hour work will expedite construction and ramp reopening by 6 a.m. April 22.
- Within the work zone, permanent speed reductions will be in place:
- 80 km/hr through the realigned section of Deerfoot Trail
- 50 km/hr on Bow Bottom Trail southeast and Anderson Road southeast
- Drivers are reminded to drive for the conditions and be aware of:
- Traffic impacts, short-term delays and the need for additional travel time
- Narrower lanes and shoulders in the area
- Posted speed limits and road signage
Access to southbound Deerfoot Trail will remain open. This closure is required to safely accommodate the removal of the existing overhead southbound bridge on Deerfoot Trail.
The City of Calgary's website states that the improvements at Anderson Road & Bow Bottom Trail and Mainline Deerfoot Trail will include improved safety and traffic flow by eliminating weaving traffic between Southland Drive and Anderson Road / Bow Bottom Trail, as well as a reconfigured exit ramp from northbound Deerfoot Trail to Anderson Road / Bow Bottom Trail to improve capacity and safety, and increased capacity by adding a third continuous lane in each direction and increased capacity on ramps with high traffic volumes.
"Since Deerfoot Trail was initially constructed in the 1970s, Calgary’s population has doubled, more people have access to vehicles, and traffic volumes have continued to increase. The improvements will add additional lanes along Deerfoot Trail as well as improve safety and reliability for drivers," The City of Calgary stated.
Other major upgrades and improvements to Deerfoot Trail include:
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North Deerfoot Trail
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Beddington Trail / 11 Street northeast
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According to The City of Calgary, construction of this segment was shut down through the winter, resuming this month.
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64 Avenue Northeast - this was completed last year
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The new northbound auxiliary lane between 64 Avenue and McKnight Boulevard, and the new eastbound and westbound 64 Avenue ramps are now open to traffic.
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- McKnight Boulevard northeast. Construction of this segment is also resuming this month
- 16 Avenue northeast
- "Design of this segment was completed in late 2023 and construction will get underway in April 2024," The City of Calgary website stated.
Deerfoot Trail is Alberta’s busiest freeway and sees over 180,000 vehicles per day in some sections.
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