Ontario Construction News staff writer
The reconstruction of Calgary’s Ring Road has been completed several months ahead of schedule.
One of the largest infrastructure projects in the city’s history included 197 new bridges and 48 interchanges. The 101-kilometre free-flowing road opened to traffic Dec. 19, completing a project decades in the making.
“Calgary’s ring road is a project that has been decades in the making and its completion is a real cause for celebration,” said Premier Danielle Smith. “With this final section completed, travelling just got a little easier for families and for workers.
“This will not only benefit Calgarians and residents in the metro region, it will provide a boost to our economy, as goods can be transported more easily across our province.”
Although construction of the entire ring road project started in 1999 under former premier Ralph Klein, discussions on a ring road around the City of Calgary began as early as the 1950s. In the late 1970s, under former premier Peter Lougheed, high-level planning and land acquisition started and a transportation utility corridor was established to make the Calgary Ring Road a reality.
“The ring road construction generated thousands of local jobs and will now play an integral role in keeping Calgarians and the economy moving. This important transportation link will ease congestion on city routes and greatly improve connectivity and access for businesses transporting goods,” said Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek.
The ring road connects the Trans-Canada Highway to the east and west, and the Queen Elizabeth II Highway and Highway 2 to the north and south. It is also part of the CANAMEX corridor, which connects Alberta to the highway network in the United States and Mexico.