Dear Shaganappi Resident,

On April 25, 2009, the second and final stage of the rehabilitation of eastbound Bow Trail Bridge (Bow Trail/East of Crowchild) will begin. This rehabilitation will extend the service life of the bridge so it remains a reliable part of Calgary’s transportation infrastructure.

This rehabilitation work will ensure eastbound Bow Trail Bridge remains a reliable part of Calgary’s infrastructure. Proper lifecycle maintenance can extend the life service of a bridge to approximately 75 years.

The eastbound Bow Trail Bridge carries approximately 35,000 vehicles per day. The 2008 rehabilitation work was focused on the south half of the bridge. This included vital repairs to the bridge deck and widening of the bridge. The 2009 rehabilitation work will be on the north half of the bridge.

Roads’ priority is to keep Calgarians on the move by minimizing the impact on peak traffic. During the 2009 rehabilitation work, three lanes on the bridge will remain open to traffic during peak hours to minimize traffic flow disruption. Three lanes is the current lane configuration on the bridge. Some intermittent lane closures may be required during off-peak hours to facilitate construction, but the morning commute will not be affected by lane restrictions.

The work will be done in two phases. The first phase, which is scheduled from April 25 to July 14, will include work on the north edge of the bridge. The second phase, which is scheduled from July 15 to August 27, will include work on the centre of the bridge. During both phases, three lanes of traffic will be open.

To ensure the safety of workers and motorists on the bridge, the speed limit will be reduced from 70 km/h to 50 km/h in the construction zone. Though the lower speed limit will cause slower traffic movement, traffic will still be able to flow freely.

The City of Calgary encourages the use of alternate modes of transportation to reduce traffic congestion and delays. BRT Route 301 accesses downtown via eastbound Bow Trail Bridge. The Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system serves important corridors and is designed to mimic LRT operation. It has limited stops, uses articulated buses, and has signal priority.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any additional questions.

Most respectfully,

John