Calgary’s Bus Rapid Transit stations are designed to improve transportation options for Calgarians by providing more direct connections to major destinations. Construction of the second phase at 17th Ave SE consists of three, three-span bridges that cross the Bow River, Deerfoot Trail and the Western Headworks Canal, all offering significant constraints.

The bridges were built with precast concrete girders and cast-in-place concrete decks. We worked closely with the City, trade partners and Stantec Consulting to ensure design elements were completed according to the fast-tracked schedule, which enabled construction to carry on uninterrupted through completion according to schedule and in line with federal project funding.

The state of work revealed a few unexpected items that threatened to set back the schedule. When excavation uncovered contaminated soil, the team reprioritized crews, who worked in other areas while the site was cleaned up. Archaeological discoveries led to the re-sequencing of the project so specialists could carefully unearth and catalogue the archaeological finds. On another occasion, when conflicts arose between different utilities, the project team modified the construction plan to allow enough fill to be installed and the bridge construction to move forward.

The dedicated transitway bypasses a busy two-kilometer stretch of road in the east part of Calgary and provides much safer access for bus and pedestrian traffic. With the reduced bus traffic on the main road, motorists who use Blackfoot Trail as part of their daily travels are finding that their commutes have improved.