Calgary Ring Road - February 23rd 2007

GOOD NEWS AT LAST

Yesterday it was announced that the north east section of the Calgary ring road would be built by a public/private partnership (P3) arrangement. Basically, this means that the road will be built and maintained using private funding and will be leased back to the city for a fixed rent. P3 arrangements have worked very successfully in other parts of the world but this is the first time I’ve heard of it happening in Alberta. The main advantage for Calgary is that completion of the road will be sooner than previously imagined in early 2009. The north west section of the ring road is already under construction and is due for completion late in 2008. When both parts are done, there will finally be an east/west route across Calgary without lights, stop signs or other restrictions. This will allow Highway 1 traffic to pass around the town without having to negotiate 16th avenue north and allows traffic from Edmonton to get onto Highway 1 without having to pass through the centre of Calgary.

This is all excellent news and the negotiators of the deal deserve hearty congratulations. The new road will help to reduce traffic congestion, noise and pollution in and around the city and begins to produce a sound platform for Calgary’s future growth.

But, the announcement of this new project now raises some important questions. Firstly, why is all this expensive work being done to upgrade 16th avenue north? With a much more viable cross town route opening relatively soon, through traffic should be discouraged from using 16th avenue. In fact, the introduction of traffic calming measures and the banning of semis from 16th avenue looks to be a much more rational response than the lavish upgrading now in progress.

I do not find it surprising that negotiations with the First Nation people over the south west portion of the ring road are taking a long time to finalize. There are delicate issues at stake and there are many reasons why these things should not be hurried. In the interim, there is no reason why the south east portion of the ring road shouldn’t be constructed using another P3 agreement. There is also no reason why the upgrading of highway 22/highway 8/Glenmore Trail shouldn’t proceed apace. With the upgrading of Glenmore Trail at Elbow Drive nearing completion, that will become another viable cross town route that will make a de facto south west portion of the ring road. Much heavy traffic already uses that route to get to and from the south east industrial areas from highway 1 west.

Completion of most of the ring road will inevitably put pressure on highway 22 through Bragg Creek, a southern bypass route that will also require significant upgrading sometime soon. Although the residents of Bragg Creek are unlikely to look favourably on the development, this is the inevitable march of progress and I for one will not be sorry to see the current four way stop replaced by an intersection on a four lane highway. Moving highway 22 further east, away from Bragg Creek, is not likely to be a viable option as this will require the expropriation of more First Nation’s land. As it is, any upgrading may well need First Nations approval. Better to start those negotiations now so that when it’s really needed, permission has been obtained and construction can start right away.

So, a hearty round of applause for the awarding of the contract for the north east portion of the ring road and a huge raspberry for the muddled city traffic planners who don’t have a rational overall plan and who can’t seem to deal with more than one project at a time.

Comment by lorcan pitchers on November 21st 2007

i think that the ring road is just a nother rediculas idea to destroy our planet it is nature you are bilding in to these are animals homes and just because there diferint dosnt mean there lower than us and its our forests to its taks thousands of years to be grown there biutifull and nateral and i think its rediculas and your killing animals your going on there habitate and they dont no what to do your killing so many species and animals are indangered now just because of humane activity these animals are alive and so is the forests and they dont desuve it we cant take and bild and not give back we need to learn how to sort out our prioritys and and give back what we have taken not just take take take take take these animals are so important and there are so many thing we dont know about them for example the wolves we dont know why they howl and we may never know because they can go exstenct becuase of what we do animals are smart but i mean they dont now how to handle ther homes being detroyd and there habitate gone its unfare and stupid

Comment by David Sawers on November 21st 2007

Lorcan. Thank you for your comment.

I agree with you that the natural world needs to be taken into account when construction is being done. However, the needs of people need to be taken into account too.

I'm sure that if there are any particularly sensitive habitats in danger from the ring road construction then Calgary's planners will take them into account and will make adjustments to the plan to maintain as much of that habitat as possible.