Heading to the Saddledome or BMO? There's nearby construction to keep in mind

Whether you're heading to a Flames game at the Saddledome or an event at the BMO Centre, officials are warning that construction is ramping up quickly and it'll likely have an impact on your journey to the area.

Crews are currently working to transform Calgary's upcoming Culture + Entertainment District, with one main project at the heart of it all: Scotia Place, the future home of the Calgary Flames.

"Calgarians can anticipate detours through the Culture + Entertainment District through 2025 and beyond. This is a long-term city building vision and we have lots of work to do here, so we will see phases of intermittent closures," said Emma Stevens, director of external relations at the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation.

Stevens said those intermittent road closures, as well as lane and sidewalk restrictions, will be in place surrounding the Scotia Place construction site for the rest of the year.

Additionally, starting Monday, there will be alternating temporary road closures and lane restrictions on Stampede Trail and 14th Avenue S.E., between Scotia Place and the Saddledome. Crews there are undertaking utilities work for the new event centre, which is expected to last until mid-April.

From mid-April, additional closures are expected along Stampede Trail — including a full closure of the 14th Avenue S.E. intersection. It's for the second phase of the Stampede Trail redevelopment project.

Stevens recommends that everyone checks real-time construction updates through the district's online map.

Liz Whittaker, director of building operations at Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation (CSEC), said anyone heading to the area should plan to arrive early.

She said she encourages people to take Calgary Transit to their destination, but there are parking lots within walking distance — including one on the south side of Stampede Park, Platform Parkade on Ninth Avenue and the Stampede parking lot on 11th Avenue.

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"We need to make sure our customers really, truly understand that this is an ongoing process ... There will be disruption over the next few years as we go toward the final build. So that's where we really want the support our fans and our understanding of them," said Whittaker.

She said CSEC will keep Calgarians updated on what's happening and how to get to their events on their website.

Officials said road construction will be wound down in time for the Rotary Convention in June and the Calgary Stampede in July, and will commence again once the 10-day festival is over.