Statement of Clarification- Future 8 Street SE closure, south of 9 Avenue SE

Statement of Clarification- Future 8 Street SE closure, south of 9 Avenue SE

Ground level crossings

The future closure of 8 Street SE, south of 9 Avenue SE, is one of many ground level rail crossings that CP Rail has identified to be closed in Calgary. Ground level crossings located in a heavily populated city, like Calgary, pose an operational and safety issue for moving goods by rail. This issue can be resolved by removing or redesigning the rail crossings.

Solutions to ground level crossings

Design solutions often include an underpass or overpass, such as the recently opened 4 Street SE underpass, the 52 Street SE overpass, or the overpass currently under construction near Ogden Road and Glenmore Trail. Other crossings in Calgary that are expected to be closed in the future through redesign or relocation include 11 Street SW and at 69 Avenue SE: the 69 Avenue SE crossing is expected to be relocated to an overpass at 78 Avenue SE with a pedestrian underpass connecting the LRT station to Ogden Dale Rd SE, while a design study is scheduled to begin on 11 Street SW in 2017 or 2018.

8 Street SE

The recent request by CP Rail to close the ground level crossing at 8 Street SE led The City to review whether an underpass or overpass could fit at this location. An overpass or underpass would allow the current connection to remain open; however, it was quickly determined there is not enough space for a vehicle connection at 8 Street SE, due to the close proximity of the 9 Avenue SE intersection to the north.

Moving Forward- working with Community and CP Rail on a solution

Moving forward, The City will work with the local community and Ward Councillor to determine the connection-needs in this area, whether it is by walking, cycling or car. We will also be discussing alternate locations in the area where a connection could fit, as well as what 8 Street SE could look like, south of 9 Avenue SE. The City has been and will continue to work with CP Rail on this and other future ground level rail crossing closures in Calgary. The timing of the closure and new design of 8 Street SE, which have not been determined at this time, will be part of those discussion with CP Rail and the community through fall 2016 and into 2017.