Calgary,
11
January
2021
|
13:00
America/Denver

Alberta Transportation and The City of Calgary present final recommendations of Deerfoot Trail Corridor Study

Alberta Transportation and The City of Calgary have completed the Deerfoot Trail Corridor Study that now includes long-term recommendations for this road over the next 30 years.

“Traffic on the Deerfoot is a common complaint of every Calgarian. With this study complete and its practical recommendations in hand, I look forward to realizing improvements that will make it safer and easier to get to work, school, and around Calgary for generations to come,” said Ric McIver, Minister of Alberta Transportation.

“We are pleased to present the long-term recommendations for Deerfoot Trail, which include consideration of additional capacity in both directions with High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) - or carpool - lanes, and a Collector Distributor System,” said Jeffrey Xu, Senior Transportation Engineer with The City of Calgary. “These recommended improvements will help alleviate congestion and improve safety on Deerfoot Trail.”

The recommendations identify improvements that could be considered at several interchanges as well as pedestrian and cycle crossings. The purpose of the Deerfoot Trail Corridor Study was to review and develop short, medium and long-term recommendations to enhance safety and mobility for everyone who uses it and to optimize overall operations throughout the corridor and adjacent network. The study was jointly completed to allow The City of Calgary and Alberta Transportation to collaboratively assess possible improvements along Deerfoot Trail over the next 30 years to manage traffic growth and congestion.

The study began in 2016, with reviewing existing conditions. During the public engagement process, challenges identified included capacity, weaving, merging, diverging, intersection operations and safety. Considerable technical work was completed over the past several years that has informed the long-term recommendations. The proposed recommendations address capacity concerns, reduced travel time and improved safety.

The three main considerations for corridor improvements included:

  • Traffic infrastructure to accommodate highway capacity, address operation issues and improve west-east traffic flow,
  • Alternatives for pedestrians and cyclists, and
  • Technology applications, specifically Intelligent Transportation Systems.

The study’s final recommendations are available at calgary.ca/deerfoot

Alberta Transportation’s 2020 Capital Plan currently includes $210 million for improvements on Deerfoot Trail. Along with reviewing the final recommendations, the department continues exploring options to implement improvements.

About Deerfoot Trail

Deerfoot Trail is an urban Calgary expressway connecting residents to communities, workplaces and other destinations. Approximately 180,000 vehicles use Deerfoot Trail daily. It is part of the Primary Goods Movement Network in Calgary and designed to move large volumes of traffic over long distances. As part of the National Highway Network, it also makes up a section of the Queen Elizabeth II Highway through the city. Other than Stoney Trail, Deerfoot Trail is the only road that provides a continuous north-south connection across the city, and is the only north-south skeletal road serving central and east Calgary. Alberta Transportation has owned and managed the Deerfoot Trail since 2001.

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The City of Calgary
Media Relations
media.relations@calgary.ca
403-828-2954

McKenzie Kibler
Press Secretary
Alberta Transportation
mckenzie.kibler@gov.ab.ca
Phone: 780-203-1487