Deerfoot Trail lane expansion opens, connection to Beddington Trail/11th Street is next

Work on a stretch of Deerfoot Trail from Beddington Trail N.W. to Airport Trail N.E. is now complete, easing congestion on the road and simplifying access to the Calgary airport, the province says.

The construction connected 11th Street N.E. to westbound Beddington Trail N.W. and northbound Deerfoot Trail, which opens Saturday.

A fourth lane was added to Deerfoot in each direction between Beddington and Airports trails.

President and CEO of the Calgary Airport Authority, Chris Dinsdale, said Friday the completed work marks an exciting milestone for the airport.

"These improvements will enhance and reduce traffic congestion for those heading to YYC," Dinsdale said.

"The additional alternative routes provide much needed flexibility and connectivity to our commercial partners making the airport more accessible from different parts of the surrounding region."

Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors Devin Dreeshen thanked contractors for their work on Deerfoot and thanked Calgarians for their patience during construction.

"Now we can finally see the fruits of all that work and all that labour," Dreeshen said Friday at the news conference, adding the province invested about $700 million into enhancing the road.

Work on upgrading several parts of the major freeway started in 2022, with this leg of construction being the second key segment to be completed, the province said. The first was work on Deerfoot Trail and 64th Avenue N.E., which finished last year.

Coun. Andre Chabot also thanked nearby residents and motorists for bearing with construction work in the area.

"It's short-term pain for the ultimate long-term gain," said the Ward 10 councillor.

Improvements to Deerfoot include increased capacity on ramps, additional lanes, reconfiguring exits and intersections and the creation of a second bridge adjacent to the Ivor Strong Bridge.

The work is being tackled as separate projects, with the province saying it's prioritizing the most congested areas first. It estimates that all enhancements to the north-south route will be complete by fall 2027.

Improvement work includes:

• Connecting 11th Street N.E., westbound Beddington Trail N.E. and northbound Deerfoot Trail N.E., now completed.
• A northbound auxiliary lane between 64th Avenue N.E. and McKnight Boulevard N.E. and new ramps, finished in 2023. 
• Reconfiguring the interchange at McKnight Boulevard N.E., to finish in summer 2025.
• New ramps at 16th Avenue N.E., to open in fall 2025.
• A northbound bridge and ramps over Glenmore Trail S.E., to be done in 2026.
• Reconfiguring the interchange at Southland Drive S.E., to be completed in 2026.
• Work on the southern portion of Deerfoot Trail around Bow Bottom Trail and Anderson Road S.E., including steel piling for new bridges, scheduled for 2027.
• Twinning Ivor Strong Bridge, to be done in 2027.

When all of the work is done, motorists on Deerfoot can expect their morning rush hour commutes to be about 15 per cent faster and their evening rush hour commutes to be about 22 per cent faster, the province said.

Coun. Evan Spencer told CBC News his constituents welcome improvements to Deerfoot Trail.

"The road is a mainstay in the commute of most of the ward," the Ward 12 councillor said.

"Obviously, Stoney Trail has helped provide other options, and with opening of the Ring Road there are other ways to get to other parts of the city. But the condition of Deerfoot is the condition of the commute for many, many residents in southeast Calgary."

Spencer said he's had conversations with plenty of residents about the overdue work that's happening along Deerfoot. 

"The general sentiment I come across is people are excited that this work is happening and that at some point we are hopefully going to have a smoother commute," he said.

Spencer added the importance of these road upgrades are highlighted by the fact that the Green Line LRT continues to hit snags on its path to construction.

"We are not going to have a Green Line in two years, so the quickest way to improvements on those commutes is definitely the Deerfoot upgrades," he said.