One of the busiest transportation corridors in Calgary was due for an upgrade—and PCL delivered.

The construction of two new interchanges near the Calgary International Airport saw the replacement of two at-grade intersections at 19 Street Northeast, Airport Trail Northeast and Barlow Trail Northeast. 

This is a significant development that improves access to the airport and other major roadways in the city, allowing for a better flow of goods and people to businesses and communities.

Due to the location’s significance, the team was tasked with keeping traffic flowing to and from the airport while constructing the new roads, interchange bridges and ramps. The work was done in phases and temporary roadway detours were created to achieve this. 

Since access to and from the Calgary International Airport uses Airport Trail, the interchanges become part of someone’s first impression of the city.

To enhance this experience, one of the project’s Mechanically Stabilized Earth walls features images of local landscapes—like mountains, the Peace Bridge and other iconic Alberta sights. In a first-of-its-kind application for a City of Calgary project, the team used a type of photo concrete technology, called pigmented form-liner, which embeds a greyscale image onto the concrete wall below one of the bridges.