Portion of final leg of Stoney Trail opens next month

Years of construction on one portion of the final piece of Calgary's ring road will come to an end next month.

A project update on the provincial government's website reveals that the section of Stoney Trail being built between 16th Avenue N.W. and Bow Trail will open to traffic in early October.

The move would allow limited access to the ring road from Bow Trail; permit traffic from Old Banff Coach Road to go north onto Stoney Trail; and allow traffic from 16th Avenue (Trans-Canada Highway) to head south on the ring road.

Construction on the West Calgary ring road (WCRR) started in 2019. It is slated to cost more than $1 billion and work is expected to be completed in 2024.

The provincial Department of Transportation is not commenting on why the section between 16th Avenue and Bow Trail is opening at this time or why it is being completed ahead of other portions. 

A spokesperson for Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen said the government plans to hold a news conference in October regarding the opening.

Residents have been waiting

Coun. Richard Pootmans, who represents Ward 6 on the city's west side, said the earlier-than-anticipated opening is being welcomed by residents in his area.

"We've already heard a lot of people are very happy about it," said Pootmans.

Besides giving residents on the west side another option for getting to points north of their communities, he said it will give them quicker access out of town.

"Those who'd like to go to the mountains are going to be able to get there that much more quickly. It's another access point to the Trans-Canada Highway that'll be convenient for many."

While he said it came as a bit of a surprise that the Bow Trail to 16th Avenue section is opening early, he's not anticipating any more interim openings until the rest of the project is finished.

Construction on the final piece of the ring road — extending Stoney Trail from Bow Trail southwards to Highway 8 — will continue into 2024.

Once the final section of Stoney Trail is complete, it means Calgary will be encircled by the entire 100-plus kilometre road.