FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors (TEC) is undertaking construction of much needed improvements to Deerfoot Trail, focusing on eight key improvement areas. While all improvement areas fall within City of Calgary limits, capital maintenance and renewal projects on provincial highways including construction on Deerfoot Trail is the responsibility of the Government of Alberta.

For more information, visit Alberta.ca/deerfoot-trail.

During construction of improvements on Deerfoot Trail, active construction will be ongoing 7 days/week, both during the day and at night. The timing of delivery of specific work items will be scheduled based on the needs of the contractor and considering the safety and efficient movement of the travelling public. Night work will continue to occur over the course of construction, as this reduces the impact to the public traffic, and provides space for the contractor to work safely to complete improvements.

The improvements to Deerfoot Trail are being delivered through 5 separate contracts.  

The Design-Build contract includes improvements to the following areas: 

 

Additional improvements are being delivered through four other contracts, and include improvements to the following areas: 

Improvements to Deerfoot Trail are being completed using a combination of contract structures selected to deliver the best value for money.

Improvements at the Ivor Strong Bridge, Anderson Road & Bow Bottom Trail, Southland Drive, and Glenmore Trail are being delivered through one Design-Build contract.  During a Design-Build, the project is designed and constructed concurrently. This allows a project to be delivered in a shorter period of time and provides the contractor with more opportunity to be innovative to meet the requirements of the contract.

Improvements at 64 Avenue NE (completed Fall 2023), Beddington Trail NW & 11 Street NE (completed Fall 2024), McKnight Boulevard NE, and 16 Avenue NE are being delivered through four separate Design-Bid-Build contracts. During a Design-Bid-Build, the project is fully designed, then bid, then constructed.

All infrastructure requires regular maintenance and periodic improvements to ensure that it is functioning safely and efficiently, and regular maintenance activities for Deerfoot Trail are undertaken by the corridor’s highway maintenance contractor, Carmacks Maintenance Services.

Substantial upgrades beyond regular maintenance activities are now required, however, given the scale of Deerfoot Trail, it was determined that it was not feasible to undertake improvements to the entire corridor simultaneously.

Recognizing this, significant technical analysis was undertaken to assess which areas within the corridor were in most need of improvement, and areas were selected based on this analysis and available budgets. The upgrades to Deerfoot Trail being delivered through the Deerfoot Trail Improvements Program will not address all existing needs within the corridor. Additional work on Deerfoot Trail will be required in the future and will be prioritized based on overall provincial needs and budgets.

Reduced speed limits in areas of construction on the provincial network are clearly marked and are subject to enforcement. Construction speed limits are in place for the protection of the travelling public, as well as construction workers when present.

Construction speed limits are regularly reviewed and revised as required, based on the needs of construction and to reflect the progress of a project.  During periods of perceived worker inactivity, reduced speed limits remain to mitigate potential hazards that exist from ongoing construction.

While construction zones can be frustrating and cause temporary traffic impacts, they are a necessary part of protecting both drivers and workers completing the work.

Please be mindful of and obey onsite signage and traffic accommodations. Visit 511 Alberta for up-to-date traffic information and to plan your travel through this area.

Deerfoot Trail is a provincial highway, and traffic updates and road conditions are reported through 511 Alberta. For updates regarding City roadways please refer to the City of Calgary’s Traffic Information Map. 

Any maintenance needs within the Deerfoot Improvements construction zones can be reported to Carmacks Maintenance Services at 403-543-8750. Maintenance needs that can be reported to this number include items such as debris on the highway, potholes, concerns with paint lines, knocked over signage, etc.

Should you encounter a maintenance issue on site, this contact information is also available on signage within the construction zones.

At this time, no additional noise attenuation is included to be constructed as part of the Deerfoot Improvements project scope.

The ongoing work on Ivor Strong Bridge as part of the Deerfoot Trail Improvements project does not include hauling of materials through Douglasdale. Access to and from site is directly off of Deerfoot Trail, as shown on the map provided here: https://www.deerfootimprovements.ca/in-river-berm-construction/

ENMAX is completing work on Substation 32 which is nearby Ivorstrong bridge and has provided public information regarding access of trucks to their work site. For additional details regarding the Substation 32 project, visit: ENMAX.com/projects/sesubstation#construction-details. ENMAX Power Customer Relations can be reached by calling 403-514-3990.

Work on the Deerfoot Trail Improvements project is complex and requires the removal / relocation of several existing overhead sign structures at Deerfoot Trail. Prior to construction, one of the structures that needed to be moved was used by Osprey as a nesting spot.

Removal of the existing vacant nest prior to the Osprey nesting window helped to prevent Osprey from selecting this location as a place to nest / lay eggs.

Early in the 2024 construction season, removal of the vacant nest was completed at the recommendation of a professional biologist, and an alternative nesting platform was constructed near the site of the existing vacant nest, away from the impacted construction area. This platform is of similar height and size to the previous nesting site and is designed to provide a convenient and acceptable nesting site alternative for the Osprey while work is ongoing. As a wild animal, Osprey may choose not to use this platform, however, it will remain in place for the duration of construction work.

All required environmental permits and approvals were obtained prior to nest removal.

  • Construction is expected to continue in this area until 2027. Following completion of construction, revised overhead signage will be erected as part of the roadway design. This will provide structures which the Osprey may choose to nest on in the future.

Please visit calgarytransit.com to plan your trip and check for updates on individual route schedules.

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Land Acknowledgement

Deerfoot Trail is located within Treaty 7, and within the historical Northwest Métis homeland. We respectfully acknowledge the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy, including the Siksika, Piikani and Kainai Nations; the Stoney-Nakoda, including the Chiniki, Bearspaw and Wesley Nations; and the Tsuut’ina Nation. We also acknowledge the homeland of the Métis Nation of Alberta Region 3.

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