West Calgary Ring Road Update – Keeping You Posted on Area Projects

The 2015 Alberta Budget cut about $1.5 billion from existing ring road spending plans by delaying the west leg of the Ring Road for up to 10 years, which the government had initially planned to start building in 2017 and have finished by 2021.

For more information on the future West Calgary Ring Road alignment visit the Government of Alberta web site:   http://www.transportation.alberta.ca/w-crrgp.htm

The Slopes Community Association has been working on your behalf to ensure that the integrity, value and enjoyment of our property is protected from the construction of the West Calgary Ring Road.

On Friday the 28 of June 2019 a delegation from the Slopes, Discovery and Springhill communities met with the Honorable Ric McIver Minister of Transportation Alberta, MLA Mike Ellis and City Councilor Jeff Davison at the McDougal Building or Government House South to discuss issues with the South West Calgary Ring Road and West Calgary Ring Road.  (SWCRR, WCRR)

The three communities met on several occasions prior to this meeting and worked together to present a coordinated cooperative approach to ensure all the communities had their concerns addressed and would speak with one voice.   Also in attendance at the meeting were the project engineer of the SWCRR and the assistants for all officials.

The following issues were discussed:

1)      The impacts of the intersection of Highway 8 and the WCRR.  We asked that the one crossover bridge be eliminated to lessen the impact on all three communities.  i.e. eliminate the need for a triple over pass.  This would be by way of simplification of traffic flow in separate directions (west and north) starting as far back as west of 69 street and highway 8.  This will eliminate the need for the third level of a bridge deck.  The height of a three level bridge structures would unnecessarily impact the south end of our community the most.

2)      That the berms be built near the roads for maximum noise attenuation.  This in order to deflect the road noise as soon as possible and to deflect it in an upward direction verses a directional direction.  We have received assurances that berms will be built but we need to make sure that these need to be constructed next to the road.

3)     That an access ramp from 17th onto northbound WCRR be incorporated in the design of the WCRR.   We don’t want to drive through other communities to get on to a new Ring Road.  With the design solution as suggested to the minister we all should have access to the WCRR traveling northward.

4)      The environmental impact of the Design Build (DB) and the inevitable construction will bring issues such as dust, noise, and hours of operation to the fore front. We have had the impact of the hauling road for two years presently and the Minister told us that he hopes not to go into 2023 for the completion of the WCRR.  We asked that these items be seriously considered as preventive measures sooner, rather than later.

5)      The wetlands that will be lost due to the WCRR construction are to be relocated but this should still be in the local area to the east side of the “to be“ constructed WCRR.  Rebuilding wetlands near our community is the rightful thing to do.  The Slopes drains presently into the wet lands below on the other side of Lower Spring Bank Road.

6)      That the pathways alignments be determined at the time of the WCRR design and to be incorporated into the whole Calgary pathway network to provide continuity.   Into Discovery, West Hills and the new City park (Clearwater) on the west side of 101 Street S.W.

7)    In particular we wish to see the same sound attenuation policies as those applied to Highway 8 near the Slopes as the Glenmore Trail, East of Sarcee Trail. We do not understand why the same road has different standards.   The Slopes community is located in Calgary and should be governed by the same standards as other City properties which have more stringent sound attenuation standards. A special designation has been asked for and will be brought up in future meetings.

Many thanks to the sub committees of the Slopes Association Boards and community members for the years of hard work by volunteering and attending meetings with advice, suggestions and solutions, forward thinking on potential engineering studies on green power, engaging and obtaining a power line planner for an potential eventual AUC hearing, culminating in this very important meeting and presentation of all of our concerns with the Alberta Transportation Minister Ric McIver, MLA Mike Ellis and City Councilor Jeff Davison.