[MMMBeer]

Not sure, but I thought that completion of the interchange was scheduled for fall of 2011. Stage 5 was to be by this fall, yes, but that seems like an inordinate amount of time to complete the NB lane and final EB-NB loop, if Stage 5 occurs this fall as planned. Reading the PR it states that completion is fall 2011, but don't know if that means contruction of LRT, in addition to all the interchange construction.

Alberta Transportation website says late Sept for Stage 4, which sounds like it's been done, and late Oct for Stage 5:

http://www.transportation.alberta.ca/stcrowgp.htm

Check out the layouts under "Maps". Hopefully they can still do Stage 5 by end of this month because sounds like Stage 4 is a cluster%&^% from the reviews above...

[AB Born]

Besides the items you mentioned for next construction season, there is a lot of landscaping work yet to be done and maybe another lift of asphalt too. It will be fall next year before we can legally ( ;) ) go 100 kph.

Speaking of this, they never put down the final layer of asphalt on Glenmore between Macleod Tr & 14 St, did they?

[Bassic Lab]

If you want an omelette, ya gotta break some eggs. Do we REALLY need a SE or a Centre St LRT? Regardless of the cost? It seems that projects are justifiable when they are Nenshi"s pets. What about the houses bulldozed for those projects? I think the problem here is a classic Suzuki problem - a PhD gives you license to be an authority on any subject.
I also find it interesting that Nenshi is all for a tunnel to the airport. Coincidentally, he lives in the NE. So such a large expenditure is OK, even though it would really be most beneficial to the businesses and employees at the airport.
"To me it just seems like if we really put our minds to it, we can find less expensive/intrusive ways of solving the gridlock problem down there".

LRT expansion is not being justified by members of this board because Nenshi supports it; support for Nenshi is being justified because he supports, amongst other things, LRT expansion. Based on earlier discussion on this forum, support for LRT expansion is near universal. There is also a very strong preference for replacing the current North LRT plans, which involve a Nose Creek alignment, with some form of subway under Centre street. Nenshi has absolutely nothing to do with either of those views being prevalent.

Opinions on both the Airport Trail Tunnel and the SWRR are more nuanced here. That said, people's views are, once again, preexisting opinions. Personally, I am pretty soft on both propositions. The difference in my mind is that if we are going to build the tunnel, it has to be built before the runway. It makes no economic sense to build it when it costs three times as much. Whereas, in my mind, it makes the most sense to delay the SWRR until we can determine if there is some play with the T'suu T'ina. If we rush headstrong into a 37th Street alignment, we are sacrificing a large chunk of Lakeview and a strip of other communities and receiving a flawed highway in return. If we can somehow manage to reignite the original plan, we will not destroy any communities and we will have a high grade freeway capable of significant expansion. The sixteen lane final phase for the original SWRR plan would suffice, essentially, forever. The compromised 37th Street alignment will do a half assed job for a while but once it is overcapacity that is it, there can be no upgrade and the next possible connection is Highway 22, which is 30 kilometres to the west. No one is going to drive 60 km out of their way to use 22 as a bypass. Again, these are my views and you, or anyone else, are more than free to challenge them. Just remember, I hold them irrespective of anything Nenshi or anyone else has said or thought about the subjects. Hell, I am still pretty undecided on Nenshi.

[Mazrim]

Even though I'm not in Ward 11, I got a pamphlet from James Maxim today that covers only the SW Ring Road, and it was a very good read. He took a very realistic approach towards the problem, and seems to know exactly how people would react to things. I really enjoyed reading it, and it's available on his website..

http://www.calgaryward11.com/index.php?id=87

It's a long article, but I highly recommend reading it if you have any interest in the future of the SW Ring Road. I think it's the best position on it that I've read of any candidate so far, including mayoral.

[Bassic Lab]

Even though I'm not in Ward 11, I got a pamphlet from James Maxim today that covers only the SW Ring Road, and it was a very good read. He took a very realistic approach towards the problem, and seems to know exactly how people would react to things. I really enjoyed reading it, and it's available on his website..

http://www.calgaryward11.com/index.php?id=87

It's a long article, but I highly recommend reading it if you have any interest in the future of the SW Ring Road. I think it's the best position on it that I've read of any candidate so far, including mayoral.

I fail to see what is realistic about his approach. The plan A part is fine but I am sure that everyone is all for the T'suu T'ina option, if it can work, I know I am. Whereas the plan B part is openly stating that costs don't matter a damn. Sure, a four mile, deep bored, tunnel under the Weaselhead might be cool but anyone want throw a dollar figure on that? I am not an engineer but upwards of three or four billion dollars, just for the tunnel, wouldn't surprise me. The home appropriations would be an order of magnitude less. At that kind of price difference my first option would be no SWRR and my second option would involve apologizing to Lakeview for flattening them. This is sadly a zero sum game and there are simply way better ways to spend that money.

[jsbertram]

Ok, I will bite. The tunnel is not more worthy than the SWRR, or even the SELRT for that matter. But the thing is, the tunnel is a time sensitive issue. If it isn't addressed now, costs will go up dramatically. Not the case with the SWRR or SELRT (which are both as important, if not more in my mind). While the SWRR problem (or I would like to say the SW traffic problem, because I don't want to preclude other alternatives) needs to be addressed, waiting a few years will not triple the costs. It will for the airport tunnel. I wish I could come up with a good analogy right now, but I can't.

And going back to the whole ad hominem argument vs. "vetting" thing- it is really a matter of separating the idea from the person. Personally, there are a lot of people who have ideas that I really like, but who, personally, I have a great distaste for. Don't let your distaste for someone personally taint your views of their ideas.

Think of it as the Pianist and Roman Polanski. The Pianist was a terrific movie, well directed and beautifully shot. It was touching and inspiring. Roman Polanski is a molester and should be put in prison for the rest of his life. I like the Pianist and I loathe Roman Polanski.

Another example would be Martin Luther King Jr. The guy plagiarized parts of his PhD. Does that make his fight for Civil Rights invalid?

Ad hominem arguments are terrible things, because they deflect the discussion away from logical argument and making sound defences of a position to comments on people's character. I know I am a sort of "ad hominem" stickler on this forum, but I only do it because I think it really takes away from the discussion.

I was discussing this airport tunnel last week with some friends, and I always came back to the argument that its easier to build the tunnel now while its bald prairie east of the terminal, rather than trying to build a tunnel later under an operating runway while planes are still landing & taking off over your heads.

One friend revised this as:
Its easier to put in the main water line under the front lawn to the street when its a mud-pit under construction, instead of doing so after the lawn is green & the trees planted & the family has moved in. You certainly could do the latter, but why when its easier, cheaper and quicker to do it during the early stages of construction.

Building the airport tunnel may be ridiculed as 'the tunnel to no-where' until the rest of the connecting roads are built, but it will be cheaper and quicker to do it before the new runway is built.

[jsbertram]

I fail to see what is realistic about his approach. The plan A part is fine but I am sure that everyone is all for the T'suu T'ina option, if it can work, I know I am. Whereas the plan B part is openly stating that costs don't matter a damn. Sure, a four mile, deep bored, tunnel under the Weaselhead might be cool but anyone want throw a dollar figure on that? I am not an engineer but upwards of three or four billion dollars, just for the tunnel, wouldn't surprise me. The home appropriations would be an order of magnitude less. At that kind of price difference my first option would be no SWRR and my second option would involve apologizing to Lakeview for flattening them. This is sadly a zero sum game and there are simply way better ways to spend that money.

Highway tunnels that have recently been built around the world have come in around $125-$150 Million/KM. 4 KMs would be $500-$600 million. Adding the new interchanges & new 37th St roadway from Southland to Anderson to would bring it up to $900 million.

[YYCguys]

Wasn't the deal with the T'suu T'ina in the billions of dollars? If so it would seem the buried 37th Street option would be the less expensive option.

[mersar]

Wasn't the deal with the T'suu T'ina in the billions of dollars? If so it would seem the buried 37th Street option would be the less expensive option.

Nope. $240M and 2000 hectares of land was the deal. The value of the deal would probably approach a billion (depending on what land they were given), but the actual cost to the province is much less.

[Mazrim]

I fail to see what is realistic about his approach. The plan A part is fine but I am sure that everyone is all for the T'suu T'ina option, if it can work, I know I am. Whereas the plan B part is openly stating that costs don't matter a damn. Sure, a four mile, deep bored, tunnel under the Weaselhead might be cool but anyone want throw a dollar figure on that? I am not an engineer but upwards of three or four billion dollars, just for the tunnel, wouldn't surprise me. The home appropriations would be an order of magnitude less. At that kind of price difference my first option would be no SWRR and my second option would involve apologizing to Lakeview for flattening them. This is sadly a zero sum game and there are simply way better ways to spend that money.

You will notice that the man is obviously willing to change his mind based on what is the most logical approach, so I think it's safe to say if he was looking at a "four mile, deep bored" tunnel that cost 3-4 billion dollars, he would think twice about it.

As for your numbers...no, it won't be like that.

[mersar]

They've closed the left turn lane on SB Stoney now. Added a flashing sign indicating to go to the next exit and turn around if you missed the ramp.

My girlfriend mentioned to me tonight that the ramps from SB Harvest Hills to Stoney are closed (at least the westbound ramp) until Wednesday.

[freeweed]

Yeah, and the SB to EB ramp - quite frankly it sucks. Not the ramp itself, but EB Stoney. Holy mother of christ does that back up. I'm talking 2, 3 changes of lights, and the ramp merges me on most of the way towards the intersection!

How the hell do people coming from Cochrane/12 Mile Coulee handle it in the morning? It must take half an hour or more to make it through. SOMETHING has got to be done about the timing of those lights! Well, that and people who cannot accelerate off the line need to be executed on sight.

Is this clusterfuck going to be fixed before 2011? Crowchild used to be a minor annoyance to me, but now I'm avoiding it like the plague. It's adding 10-15 minutes to my drive, even when it's not terribly busy.

[Seadood]

Yeah, and the SB to EB ramp - quite frankly it sucks. Not the ramp itself, but EB Stoney. Holy mother of christ does that back up. I'm talking 2, 3 changes of lights, and the ramp merges me on most of the way towards the intersection!

How the hell do people coming from Cochrane/12 Mile Coulee handle it in the morning? It must take half an hour or more to make it through. SOMETHING has got to be done about the timing of those lights! Well, that and people who cannot accelerate off the line need to be executed on sight.

Is this clusterfuck going to be fixed before 2011? Crowchild used to be a minor annoyance to me, but now I'm avoiding it like the plague. It's adding 10-15 minutes to my drive, even when it's not terribly busy.

Amen. They can't get the EB-NB ramp completed too soon. Those lights have got to go. At least in Stage 5 all that will have a stop light is WB Crow.
Looking at the bridge on EB, though, I noticed it was highly flared at the east end, to accomodate the loop to NB. That will be ONE TIGHT TURN once it opens.

[Seadood]

I was discussing this airport tunnel last week with some friends, and I always came back to the argument that its easier to build the tunnel now while its bald prairie east of the terminal, rather than trying to build a tunnel later under an operating runway while planes are still landing & taking off over your heads.

One friend revised this as:
Its easier to put in the main water line under the front lawn to the street when its a mud-pit under construction, instead of doing so after the lawn is green & the trees planted & the family has moved in. You certainly could do the latter, but why when its easier, cheaper and quicker to do it during the early stages of construction.

Building the airport tunnel may be ridiculed as 'the tunnel to no-where' until the rest of the connecting roads are built, but it will be cheaper and quicker to do it before the new runway is built.

But how does this all work out with the extension of Airport Tr (96 Ave alignment) west of Deerfoot? Will that not relieve congestion on Deerfoot? Isn't that the major justification for the tunnel? And what about LRT contruction from the west, as in Centre St line?

[Mazrim]

But how does this all work out with the extension of Airport Tr (96 Ave alignment) west of Deerfoot? Will that not relieve congestion on Deerfoot? Isn't that the major justification for the tunnel? And what about LRT contruction from the west, as in Centre St line?

The 96th Avenue extension to Harvest Hills Blvd is not going to do anything to relieve congestion on Deerfoot, since it doesn't empty into any major roadway. Essentially, people that used to use Country Hills Blvd to get to the airport might use 96th Avenue instead. Don't expect it to take all the load off the existing airport routes though.

[BP_Brandon]

Yeah, and the SB to EB ramp - quite frankly it sucks. Not the ramp itself, but EB Stoney. Holy mother of christ does that back up. I'm talking 2, 3 changes of lights, and the ramp merges me on most of the way towards the intersection!

How the hell do people coming from Cochrane/12 Mile Coulee handle it in the morning? It must take half an hour or more to make it through. SOMETHING has got to be done about the timing of those lights! Well, that and people who cannot accelerate off the line need to be executed on sight.

Is this clusterfuck going to be fixed before 2011? Crowchild used to be a minor annoyance to me, but now I'm avoiding it like the plague. It's adding 10-15 minutes to my drive, even when it's not terribly busy.

Hahaha.... Completely agree with you.... I liked it better making the left turn onto EB Crow. Went this way using the new ramp twice... once on Friday around 5:00 pm and other on Sunday around 4:00 pm, and both times were unbelievably painful....to the point of making this intersection completely dysfunctional. If this goes on until 2011, then there will much blood being spilt from peoples veins exploding.....:pissed: I for one will be using Sarcee to get on to EB Crowchild from now on. Oh I think people will start going around this situation by using 12 mile coulee upto CHB EB..... this will only congest an already plugged intersection @ Royal Birch Blvd and CHB :irked:.

[Bassic Lab]

Highway tunnels that have recently been built around the world have come in around $125-$150 Million/KM. 4 KMs would be $500-$600 million. Adding the new interchanges & new 37th St roadway from Southland to Anderson to would bring it up to $900 million.

If you guys think so then maybe. I am in no better position to throw out estimates than anyone else. It would shock me if it was that low though; comparing Calgary to the world for construction costs can be an iffy proposition.

[Koolfire]

Yeah, and the SB to EB ramp - quite frankly it sucks. Not the ramp itself, but EB Stoney. Holy mother of christ does that back up. I'm talking 2, 3 changes of lights, and the ramp merges me on most of the way towards the intersection!

How the hell do people coming from Cochrane/12 Mile Coulee handle it in the morning? It must take half an hour or more to make it through. SOMETHING has got to be done about the timing of those lights! Well, that and people who cannot accelerate off the line need to be executed on sight.

Is this clusterfuck going to be fixed before 2011? Crowchild used to be a minor annoyance to me, but now I'm avoiding it like the plague. It's adding 10-15 minutes to my drive, even when it's not terribly busy.


I haven't driven this intersection lately but is it 2 or 3 EB lanes going through? I'm looking at the drawing and it looks like it should be 3 so would not having the merge lane continue through the lights be quick and easy fix?

[freeweed]

I haven't driven this intersection lately but is it 2 or 3 EB lanes going through? I'm looking at the drawing and it looks like it should be 3 so would not having the merge lane continue through the lights be quick and easy fix?

2 right now, 3 eventually. Which would help substantially. However, I suspect it will be several weeks before the 3rd lane is opened.

[SmokWawelski]

Hahaha.... Completely agree with you.... I liked it better making the left turn onto EB Crow. Went this way using the new ramp twice... once on Friday around 5:00 pm and other on Sunday around 4:00 pm, and both times were unbelievably painful....to the point of making this intersection completely dysfunctional. If this goes on until 2011, then there will much blood being spilt from peoples veins exploding.....:pissed: I for one will be using Sarcee to get on to EB Crowchild from now on. Oh I think people will start going around this situation by using 12 mile coulee upto CHB EB..... this will only congest an already plugged intersection @ Royal Birch Blvd and CHB :irked:.

Used the new ramp onto EB Crow this morning.....what a complete fuck up. Left Royal Oak at 6:50am, so I can head up Rocky Ridge Road to CHB (because some asshole decided that they absolutely have no way of keeping RRR connected to Crow:hell: :hell: ) While on CHB, right by the shopping centre, you gotta watch out for the #58 stopping for transit users, effectively completely stopping the right lane of CHB, then you get to that wonderful intersection of CHB and Royal Birch, where the #158 is trying to pick up transit users from a bus stop which is located on a merge lane for everyone trying to leave the neighbourhood. Those drivers are trying to avoid the #158 by darting their vehicles right into your lane:hell: :hell: Finally you get onto the ramp from CHB onto South bound Stoney Trail just in time to be slowed down by another asshole who decided that since they have a speed restriction somewhere on Stoney, he will drive that speed limit while trying to merge onto Stoney Trail, where most cars are coming at 100kph. So now you are behind this asshole, looking into your rear view mirror to see if some truck isn't going to park their front bumper on your dash:hell: :hell: ..Finally make it to the newly opened ramp, just to be stopped in traffic behind lots of assholes:) :) :) I'm serious when I say this, at 7:15am...let me repeat 7:15am finally was able to go past Stoney Trail intersection on EB Crow. I counted 5 missed lights before we made it through. Tomorrow, heading all the way to #1 then onto Memorial or 16th up to University Dr then down onto Crowchild then Memorial East finally onto 10th Street Bridge. We'll see how this works:tantrum: :tantrum: Needless to say, I'm glad I have low blood pressure, otherwise I think I would explode.

[Smevo]

My girlfriend mentioned to me tonight that the ramps from SB Harvest Hills to Stoney are closed (at least the westbound ramp) until Wednesday.

The SB-WB ramp is the only one not open at the moment. They still have to tie in across the temporary road (as of yesterday), and pave the final alignment of SB-WB ramp (it's just oiled at the moment, again, as of yesterday, and has been for a while). There's some "housekeeping" work left to be done on the NB-WB ramp as well, but it's open under a (very) minor detour alignment.

[Koolfire]

Finally you get onto the ramp from CHB onto South bound Stoney Trail just in time to be slowed down by another asshole who decided that since they have a speed restriction somewhere on Stoney, he will drive that speed limit while trying to merge onto Stoney Trail, where most cars are coming at 100kph. So now you are behind this asshole, looking into your rear view mirror to see if some truck isn't going to park their front bumper on your dash:hell: :hell:

Oh please this is not a unique phenomenon. I travel Deerfoot all the time and people not doing 100km/h by the time they get to the dashed merging line makes my blood boil. Not only did that one %#@%@%@#^@#%$ make it harder for me to merge but everyone behind me as well. Unless it's a transport truck were they could have trouble getting up to 100 km/h, a slow merge speed is unacceptable ( assuming Deerfoot traffic isn't slowed by congestion). Should be an automatic fail on a drivers test IHMO. Maybe the city needs to put up signs at the beginning of ramp that say speed limit 100km/h at the tops of the ramps.

[shogged]

Should be an automatic fail on a drivers test IHMO. .

too bad the drivers test doesn't require any highway driving :haha:

[freeweed]

The bus stops in RR/RO are some of the absolutely WORST placed in this city. They're in merge lanes, they're set immediately after very busy turn lanes, they just fuck up traffic constantly.

And they're in places where no one actually lives. It's cute to think of a bunch of suburbanites taking the bus to Wal-Mart and everything, but come on.

Ever since I moved to Calgary I've been extremely surprised at how rare it is to get stuck behind a stopped bus. Until I moved to Royal Oak. It's like someone spent a weekend in Winnipeg and thought "hey, if the buses stop traffic all the time, and cars are always darting around them, we can keep the body shops in business!!".

[Koolfire]

too bad the drivers test doesn't require any highway driving :haha:

Well I took my drivers test in Ontario 12 years ago before I moved out here and it was mandatory. :P Maybe Highway driving should be added then.

[bookermorgan]

too bad the drivers test doesn't require any highway driving :haha:

As far as I know, the advanced road test to get past GDL does require highway. Highway like Crowchild North

[Mazrim]

(because some asshole decided that they absolutely have no way of keeping RRR connected to Crow:hell: :hell: )
Oh, please. I think you know full well why they closed Rocky Ridge Road.

Maybe the city needs to put up signs at the beginning of ramp that say speed limit 100km/h at the tops of the ramps.
They do this on Anthony Henday Drive in Edmonton. It doesn't help.

[Stang]

SmokWawelski: What about CHB to Sarcee and then joining Crowchild a little bit more downstream? Or even 12 Mile Coulee to Crowchild to Stoney (unless the congestion is large enough that it is blocking the EB Crow to SB Stoney ramp).

I have even started avoiding NB Stoney and Crowchild because it backs up there a lot during rush hour and, believe it or not, on Sunday afternoons. Lots of campers and other vehicles presumably coming back into town from the weekend cause 2-3 light delays.

I'm looking forward to the finished product as it should be a thing of beauty. But it is a pain in the ass right now - I think more now than it has been in the past. I guess that we can attribute that to more cars using it (Stoney in particular), new & unfamiliar ramps, etc.

[freeweed]

I'm looking forward to the finished product as it should be a thing of beauty. But it is a pain in the ass right now - I think more now than it has been in the past. I guess that we can attribute that to more cars using it (Stoney in particular), new & unfamiliar ramps, etc.

The volume on Stoney is definitely the big factor here. It seems like every day there's more and more traffic. Including a heck of a lot of slow moving trucks, which are real fun on the hills (especially heading north past the Bow).

[Seadood]

The volume on Stoney is definitely the big factor here. It seems like every day there's more and more traffic. Including a heck of a lot of slow moving trucks, which are real fun on the hills (especially heading north past the Bow).

Would they have done traffic counts here before construction started? I would have thought that if counts are higher that construction would have taken priority here first. As it stands it was the last area of activity on the whole NWRR. Build the easy stuff first? Then again, this part is not P3.

[Mazrim]

Would they have done traffic counts here before construction started? I would have thought that if counts are higher that construction would have taken priority here first. As it stands it was the last area of activity on the whole NWRR. Build the easy stuff first? Then again, this part is not P3.

There have been multiple extensive traffic studies done for the area. The Crowchild job is a complex and multi-faceted project. There are...4 or 5 contracts for it alone, I think.

[freeweed]

There have been multiple extensive traffic studies done for the area. The Crowchild job is a complex and multi-faceted project. There are...4 or 5 contracts for it alone, I think.

And it's been seriously delayed due to the decision to push the LRT through to Tuscany, which I think is the big complicating factor here.

[MalcolmTucker]

Not just delayed, but major scope creep as well.

[freeweed]

Not just delayed, but major scope creep as well.

Delayed BECAUSE of the scope creep, really.

Well, and as someone else mentioned, it wasn't a P3. After seeing this whole thing unfold, I'm a true believer.

[lubicon]

The volume on Stoney is definitely the big factor here. It seems like every day there's more and more traffic. Including a heck of a lot of slow moving trucks, which are real fun on the hills (especially heading north past the Bow).

Speaking of this, what the hell is up with the lane alignments coming up the hill? The left lane (ie the 'fast' lane) ends just over the Tuscany interchange. You have to merge right to stay in the through lane!! The right hand lane ends up being the left, and a new lane splits off and becomes the right (ie 'slow') lane. So if you want to stay in teh through lane you have to actually changes lanes to the right. Same thing if you are actually being considerate and using the slow lane - all of a sudden you are in the fast lane without actually changing anything. It's like Crowchild coming north across the Bow River all over again. Who the hell comes up with this stuff? Maybe it's just temporary until the Crowchild interchange is completed, but the big overhead signs imply otherwise.

[Mazrim]

Delayed BECAUSE of the scope creep, really.

Well, and as someone else mentioned, it wasn't a P3. After seeing this whole thing unfold, I'm a true believer.
If the NW Stoney construction didn't sell you already that is...or has everyone forgot the delays on the NW as a whole? :haha:

Speaking of this, what the hell is up with the lane alignments coming up the hill? The left lane (ie the 'fast' lane) ends just over the Tuscany interchange. You have to merge right to stay in the through lane!! The right hand lane ends up being the left, and a new lane splits off and becomes the right (ie 'slow') lane. So if you want to stay in teh through lane you have to actually changes lanes to the right. Same thing if you are actually being considerate and using the slow lane - all of a sudden you are in the fast lane without actually changing anything. It's like Crowchild coming north across the Bow River all over again. Who the hell comes up with this stuff? Maybe it's just temporary until the Crowchild interchange is completed, but the big overhead signs imply otherwise.
In the future that lane will be extended. Most of Stoney Trail does it's future widening on the inside, instead of the outside, which creates these funny merges you speak of. This prevents them from having to redo/realign on and off ramps every time they add additional lanes to the road. It's cheaper and more efficient use of your initial construction phase. For the majority of the road, the ultimate grading is complete and they just need to pave when needed! Stoney is one of the few roads where they really were proactive in the design, and I'm sure we'll be grateful for it in the future.

[Oliver Klozov]

...The left lane (ie the 'fast' lane) ends just over the Tuscany interchange. You have to merge right to stay in the through lane!! ...

I think that's only due to the temporary alignment going right at that point. When the Stage 5 temporary alignment comes, it will likely be a through lane as the alignment moves to the left and onto the future (final) southbound left lane and median shoulder.

[Seadood]

For the majority of the road, the ultimate grading is complete and they just need to pave when needed! Stoney is one of the few roads where they really were proactive in the design, and I'm sure we'll be grateful for it in the future.

I'm already grateful for the new standards in highway design. Climbing lanes on hills? Brilliant! This is the way to keep traffic moving.

[SmokWawelski]

SmokWawelski: What about CHB to Sarcee and then joining Crowchild a little bit more downstream? Or even 12 Mile Coulee to Crowchild to Stoney (unless the congestion is large enough that it is blocking the EB Crow to SB Stoney ramp).

I have even started avoiding NB Stoney and Crowchild because it backs up there a lot during rush hour and, believe it or not, on Sunday afternoons. Lots of campers and other vehicles presumably coming back into town from the weekend cause 2-3 light delays.

I'm looking forward to the finished product as it should be a thing of beauty. But it is a pain in the ass right now - I think more now than it has been in the past. I guess that we can attribute that to more cars using it (Stoney in particular), new & unfamiliar ramps, etc.

CHB to Sarcee I find to have too many lights. Two lights over Stoney Overpass, lights to West Citadel, lights at Nosehill, lights to Citadel again, then you get to turn onto Sarcee down to lights at John Laurie and of course another set of lights before the crowshild overpass:) :) Way too many lights

[Ferreth]

... Stoney is one of the few roads where they really were proactive in the design, and I'm sure we'll be grateful for it in the future.

Totally grateful now - Harvest Hills interchange built in a year thanks to pre-grading all the ramps in during the initial build, with relatively little disruption to Stoney during the build.

As far as the previous comments about merging - I am of the opinion that in Calgary the poorest driving skill overall is merging. Every other city I go to in Canada seems to have drivers that merge better than Calgarians. Feels like most of the time I'm behind someone who is going 10km/h less than the traffic they are trying to get into, or even slower.

[You Need A Thneed]

One poor design aspect of Stoney is that, if you are driving from the east to the west, there are exactly ZERO lanes that continue all the way around.

[Nudrock]

One poor design aspect of Stoney is that, if you are driving from the east to the west, there are exactly ZERO lanes that continue all the way around.

Why is that poor design?

[Stang]

One poor design aspect of Stoney is that, if you are driving from the east to the west, there are exactly ZERO lanes that continue all the way around.

I can think of a couple of instances where a new lane is added on the left for a while, and then a lane is eliminated on the right a little later. I would think that this is better than having a left lanes disappear. I don't mind it at all. Staying in the same lane isn't practical anyway due to passing, merging, etc.

[Mazrim]

Why is that poor design?

Lane Balance is an important part of road design. It's highly desireable to have an equal number of lanes entering and leaving an interchange. Forcing people to lane change to continue through is not good at all. I imagine that right now in the initial phase (before adding more lanes) there is a couple places that may force people, which is unfortunate. I think one example is EB Stoney from Deerfoot to Metis Trail. There are probably more.

Another example of poor lane balance is NB Crowchild from 17th Avenue SW to 16th Avenue NW. 3 lanes in, 2 lanes out, only 1 lane actually goes through the whole thing. The result is a ton of lane changing in that stretch, which is the source of most of the daily grief we see there.

[Stang]

Lane Balance is an important part of road design. It's highly desireable to have an equal number of lanes entering and leaving an interchange. Forcing people to lane change to continue through is not good at all. I imagine that right now in the initial phase (before adding more lanes) there is a couple places that may force people, which is unfortunate. I think one example is EB Stoney from Deerfoot to Metis Trail. There are probably more.

Another example of poor lane balance is NB Crowchild from 17th Avenue SW to 16th Avenue NW. 3 lanes in, 2 lanes out, only 1 lane actually goes through the whole thing. The result is a ton of lane changing in that stretch, which is the source of most of the daily grief we see there.

I think that this is the classic example of what you're talking about. I don't know that there's a better solution given the bridges that are currently there, but it sure is a mess. Most of us are used to it, but I can only imagine what it must be like to a visitor/newcomer to the city.

back to Stoney - I believe that the stretch on EB Stoney between Deerfoot and Metis is the only example that I can think of where the left lane disappears instead of the right. Are there any others?

[You Need A Thneed]

Why is that poor design?

Think of it this way: You are a Truck driver, bypassing Calgary, therefore driving the ring road. You approach Calgary from the East, turn onto the ring road. After you merge into a traffic lane, you must lane change to the left before getting to McKnight to stay on Stoney, becasue the right lane must exit off to McKnight. At around Deerfoot, you must again lane change to the left becasue the right lane ends. Then again around Country hills Blvd, you must again lane change to the left - into a lane that started at around Metis, becasue the right lane once again ends.

For small cars this isn't really that big of a problem, and with the smaller traffic volumes currently, it isn't really a problem. The problem is when traffic picks up and large transprt trucks are forced to make extra lane changes with traffic passing them in the lane they want to get into.

Lanes should only be added on the right side, and be removed from the right side.

It used to be that 16th Ave had only one lane continuous through the city heading westbound, but that is now up to two - thanks to the 16th Ave widening.

[You Need A Thneed]

back to Stoney - I believe that the stretch on EB Stoney between Deerfoot and Metis is the only example that I can think of where the left lane disappears instead of the right. Are there any others?

That's the only place that I can think of. The left lane ends there because Traffic merges into Stoney from the left off of Deerfoot Southbound. When the lanes reduce back down to two, there is one lane left from Stoney, and one lane left from the Merge off of Deerfoot. I think that is ok there, because the merging from the left reduces future weaving traffic between Deerfoot and Metis, and taking off only lanes from the right side would mean that there would be 0 lanes continuous heading Eastbound as well, and that in a much shorter area than the current situation Westbound is. At least, the current westbound situation gives you 15kms or so to do your two lane changes left.

[Mazrim]

EDIT: Oops.

[MMMBeer]

That's the only place that I can think of. The left lane ends there because Traffic merges into Stoney from the left off of Deerfoot Southbound. When the lanes reduce back down to two, there is one lane left from Stoney, and one lane left from the Merge off of Deerfoot. I think that is ok there, because the merging from the left reduces future weaving traffic between Deerfoot and Metis, and taking off only lanes from the right side would mean that there would be 0 lanes continuous heading Eastbound as well, and that in a much shorter area than the current situation Westbound is. At least, the current westbound situation gives you 15kms or so to do your two lane changes left.

I think the left lane ends on NB Stoney after Nose Hill Drive right around the Tuscany on/off ramps. I think this temporary (hopefully) until Stoney/Crow gets finished, but still annoying. And kinda dangerous IMO because its around the crest of a hill.

[Stang]

I think the left lane ends on NB Stoney after Nose Hill Drive right around the Tuscany on/off ramps. I think this temporary (hopefully) until Stoney/Crow gets finished, but still annoying. And kinda dangerous IMO because its around the crest of a hill.

Ah yes - I usually exit into Tuscany right before then, so I didn't remember it.

It is a bit tricky as you have vehicles moving right because their lane ends, and vehicles merging in from Tuscany/Scenic very shortly thereafter. I too am thiking that it'll be gone once all of the ramps get sorted out there for the Crow interchange.

[You Need A Thneed]

I'm pretty sure that the opening of the Crowchild interchange will get rid of that left lane ending. It just looks too temporary the way its set up right now, and that's beside making no sense.

[kap384]

The permanent sign actually indicates 3 lanes of Stoney, with the west-most leg currently covered over.

[Seadood]

I'm pretty sure that the opening of the Crowchild interchange will get rid of that left lane ending. It just looks too temporary the way its set up right now, and that's beside making no sense.

Notice that it is on a hill. That would indicate that a climbing lane is planned, but since the construction config of Stoney NB is 2 lane only, they had to maintain 2 lanes while keeping the introduction of the third lane. Once the finished alignment is completed, that left lane will carry on under the bridge and eventually, I predict, there will be three lanes from Nose Hill to CHB.
on a side note, you have to love how they have made only one off ramp from Stoney onto Crow. That will sure relieve bottlenecks posed by on/off ramps.

[Seadood]

Anyone done a drive-by on the SE ring yet? Anything other than grading happening?

[srperrycgy]

I went through Deerfoot @ 22X on Sunday and the earth-movers were working away. That one will be quite the clusterF when the construction gears up.

[Ferreth]

I went through Deerfoot @ 22X on Sunday and the earth-movers were working away. That one will be quite the clusterF when the construction gears up.

I may just have to become re-acquainted with Anderson - Macleod as my favorite route out of town south once that gets going.

[thager]

had the chance to take stoney tr from #1 going east to the other side of #1 east and was very impressed with the road. we were in town for thanksgiving and spent the day at calaway and my parents live in marlbrough so it was very fast compared to going through on #1/16 ave.

[mersar]

Just got this by email from the SEST group:

Construction activity detours traffic on Glenmore Trail in Calgary

Calgary... Motorists are advised that traffic will be shifted to a temporary detour, south of the current Glenmore Trail alignment, in southeast Calgary as part of the Southeast Stoney Trail Project.

This detour affects Glenmore Trail between 68 Street SE and 84 Street SE. Single-lane traffic in both directions will be maintained at all times. The intersections of Glenmore Trail at 68 Street SE and at 84 Street SE will not be affected by this work.

The detour goes into effect on October 18 and will be in place until further notice. Please note dates are subject to change. The detour accommodates preparation and underground utility work for the new Glenmore Trail interchange for the ring road project.

Motorists should use caution in this area and obey all signs, message boards, and flag people. Fines for speeding are doubled in construction zones when workers are present.

The Alberta government signed a 33-year agreement with Chinook Roads Partnership to design, build, operate and partially finance the southeast leg of the Stoney Trail ring road from its junction with 17 Avenue SE, south along the City of Calgary’s eastern limit, then west along Highway 22X to east of the Macleod Trail interchange. The new road will be fully open to traffic by the fall of 2013.

Visit www.sestproject.ca (http://sestproject.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5c1ead385065a891b09d9935c&id=5a5f908bb7&e=24373c8be5) for more information.

[mwalker_mw]

Does the SERR project include completing the expansion of Glenmore between 18th St. SE and Stoney (the stretch in foothills industrial park)? Or is there a simultaneous project to accomplish this?

It will be freeway on either side and then hits a major choke point right at the industrial park.

[You Need A Thneed]

Does the SERR project include completing the expansion of Glenmore between 18th St. SE and Stoney (the stretch in foothills industrial park)? Or is there a simultaneous project to accomplish this?

It will be freeway on either side and then hits a major choke point right at the industrial park.

Nope, haven't heard about anything.

In other news that I don't think has been mentioned, the very short merge lane from Stoney onto Northbound Deerfoot is no more, the additional lanes are open. Very nice in comparision.

[freeweed]

In other news that I don't think has been mentioned, the very short merge lane from Stoney onto Northbound Deerfoot is no more, the additional lanes are open. Very nice in comparision.

Yeah, that got fixed a week or two back. Northbound Deerfoot is practically done in that area, and doesn't slow down until the CIM overpass now. Once that's done it should be 110 all the way to Edmonton (Airdrie is finally totally complete from what I've seen).

Crowchild @ Stoney continues to progress, they've laid down the first asphalt layer on the WB->SB ramp (the turn into Tuscany for 90% of drivers). Stoney under the new bridges looks to be just about ready for paving. I can actually see this all coming together as scheduled before winter sets in. It's going to be damn nice to see that intersection just about complete this year.

[para transit fellow]

Does the SERR project include completing the expansion of Glenmore between 18th St. SE and Stoney (the stretch in foothills industrial park)? Or is there a simultaneous project to accomplish this?

It will be freeway on either side and then hits a major choke point right at the industrial park.


I don't think the province is going to spring for directly completeing the stretch beteween 18 Street SE and Barlow. There are eventual plans for an interchange at glenmore and shepard rd /ogden road. The City has been expropriating land around the intersection for about five years. One expropriation was the clubhouse of a motor cycle gang ( who relocated to off of 84 street). I noticed the gas station that was on the South West corner is removed.

[mwalker_mw]

I don't think the province is going to spring for directly completeing the stretch beteween 18 Street SE and Barlow. There are eventual plans for an interchange at glenmore and shepard rd /ogden road. The City has been expropriating land around the intersection for about five years. One expropriation was the clubhouse of a motor cycle gang ( who relocated to off of 84 street). I noticed the gas station that was on the South West corner is removed.

I assume in the longer term we could expect interchanges at Barlow as well as 52nd and 68th to complete the freeway? Or would the intent be lights along that stretch? It's so close to a proper E/W freeway already...

[Ferreth]

I assume in the longer term we could expect interchanges at Barlow as well as 52nd and 68th to complete the freeway? Or would the intent be lights along that stretch? It's so close to a proper E/W freeway already...

The long term plan is free flow all the way, as can be seen on page 1 of the 68th St/Peigan/Glenmore plan (http://www.calgary.ca/DocGallery/BU/trans_planning/studies/glenmore_68_st/open_house_plans.pdf) There used to be a detailed version of what Glenmore was going to look like, but I can't find it anymore. Perhaps the city has changed their mind again about that one.

Ogden/Shepard/Glenmore was already supposed to be changed, with Ogden being moved west slightly then jogging further west to connect with 24th St. That would have made the BRT work a lot better in that area. Instead we have that half-assed weird merge at 85th that the city is still improving, so I assume nothing is going to happen at Glenmore any time soon.

[mersar]

Another email from the SEST team:

Calgary... Motorists are advised that traffic will be diverted to a temporary detour at the intersection of Highway 22X, Cranston Boulevard SE, and McKenzie Lake Boulevard SE in Calgary.

The detour goes into effect on October 27, weather permitting. The detour will have a signalized intersection and is located immediately west of the existing intersection of McKenzie Lake Boulevard SE, Cranston Boulevard SE, and Highway 22X. The detour accommodates construction of a new interchange at this intersection as part of the Stoney Trail SE ring road project.

They've also got some pictures (http://www.sestproject.ca/photo-gallery) up on their site now:

http://www.sestproject.ca/wp-content/gallery/southeast-stoney-trail/114-ave-sept-2010-website.jpg
Looking north from 114th Street (in the foreground)

[freeweed]

Anyone have any guesses as to the progress at Crowchild & Stoney? I haven't been by much lately during daylight but there seems to be a new layer of asphalt somewhere every time I look.

[yeeg]

Anyone have any guesses as to the progress at Crowchild & Stoney? I haven't been by much lately during daylight but there seems to be a new layer of asphalt somewhere every time I look.

Here is a link to what they are expecting by the end of this month. I drive by that interechange everday and have also noticed a lot of work going on. They were paving the southbound lanes last night and It looked as thouhg they were near completion of that side. My bet is they finish the northbound paving before Sunday and open it up the week after.

http://www.transportation.alberta.ca/Content/docType490/production/stcrow-ms5.pdf

[freeweed]

:previous: Excellent. I figured we'd see this in late November/early December at best. What I can't understand is how there can be a signal on WB Crowchild only. Doesn't a signal imply that there must be one in another direction as well? Or at least the cross street?

[yeeg]

:previous: Excellent. I figured we'd see this in late November/early December at best. What I can't understand is how there can be a signal on WB Crowchild only. Doesn't a signal imply that there must be one in another direction as well? Or at least the cross street?

eastbound crow is free flowing but if you want to turn north on stoney, you will encounter the lights to cut across westbound crow...The new exit ramp from east crow to north stoney wont be ready.

[freeweed]

eastbound crow is free flowing but if you want to turn north on stoney, you will encounter the lights to cut across westbound crow...The new exit ramp from east crow to north stoney wont be ready.

Ah, thanks - so there *are* lights on EB Stoney, but not for the majority of traffic. Kinda like on Anderson over MacLeod.

I figured it had to be something like this but the diagram had me scratching my head.

This will clear up 95% of the traffic issues there; hopefully the lights are timed well that the WB lanes don't have to stop too often or too long.

[lubicon]

The only part to me that looks to be lagging is the NB>WB ramp. There is still a lot of earthwork to do before they can even grade the road. But I haven't been through the area since the weekend so maybe they made some good progress.

[Oliver Klozov]

There is also the EB-NB ramp yet to do. Before they can even start on that, the old Stoney alignment south of Crow has to be closed.

The NB and SB traffic could move under the bridge as soon as the paving for the southbound lanes is done. The NB lanes will use the eastern half of the southbound road embankment until sometime next year.

The old Stoney alignment cannot be closed until the NB-WB ramp is open.

Once the above things happen, we are at Stage 5 where the only remaining lights will be for EB Crow left turns onto NB Stoney. That left turn was by far the lesser of the 4 left turn movements at Stoney/Crow so I think the effect on WB Crow won't be too bad at all especially considering the cross traffic is gone. The only long wait will probably be for those waiting to turn left; I'm fairly certain it won't be a "Yield on Solid Green".

[yeeg]

SB stoney at crow is now open. Great to see the traffic going under the bridge!! NB should be open tomorrow?

[lubicon]

SB stoney at crow is now open. Great to see the traffic going under the bridge!! NB should be open tomorrow?

NB can't open until the WB>SB offramp is open. But that should be ready very soon as well.

[Oliver Klozov]

NB can't open until the WB>SB offramp is open. But that should be ready very soon as well.

Yup but I thought it was ready to go - just waiting for the SB lanes to open for it to be open as well.

..... NB should be open tomorrow?

Cool ...... and I have to go to Beiseker tomorrow :tup:

[Cage]

Just finished the drive home and SB Stoney is now under the crow interchange. WB Crow to SB Stoney ramp is also now open. Signs on WB Crow direct ALL Stoney traffic to use the right hand lane. :banana:

Looks like Oliver will have quite the surprise on his way to Beiseker this weekend.

[freeweed]

Wow, thanks for the updates guys. I thought I saw a sign today on Crowchild but didn't get a good look at it. Just went for a spin, and wow - is it ever freaking nice to drive straight through Stoney!! I bet NB is open within days, if not tomorrow.

This truly is a case of "ask and ye shall receive". I *just* mentioned it this morning... looking back, they were barely putting down the first paving layers only a week ago, and now it's basically open. Insane.

[yeeg]

Im just glad there will be less idiots who turn sb or nb off crow stopping right in the middle of the intersection looking at the other traffic lights...that drove me nuts...

[SmokWawelski]

Took the southbound Stoney Trail last night under the crowchild :):):) Noticed that there isn't (as of yet) a merge lane from Crowchild west ramp onto Stoney South, it just a short yield. I wonder how well the traffic will weave at the afternoon rush hour on Monday. I foresee the Crowchild ramp backed up all the way to Crowchild bridge deck....because some dipstick can merge into traffic profficiently :):):). Ohh well, at least I don't need to use that ramp :)

[shevallo]

Wow, thanks for the updates guys. I thought I saw a sign today on Crowchild but didn't get a good look at it. Just went for a spin, and wow - is it ever freaking nice to drive straight through Stoney!! I bet NB is open within days, if not tomorrow.

This truly is a case of "ask and ye shall receive". I *just* mentioned it this morning... looking back, they were barely putting down the first paving layers only a week ago, and now it's basically open. Insane.

I don't think NB stoney will be under the overpass for some time. They'll likely wait until the NB-WB ramp is complete and it doesn't even look close. They still have to create the ramp. I'm not sure why they weren't doing that at the same time as the WB-SB ramp. There's no reason they couldn't have. :koko:

[Oliver Klozov]

I don't think NB stoney will be under the overpass for some time. They'll likely wait until the NB-WB ramp is complete and it doesn't even look close. They still have to create the ramp. I'm not sure why they weren't doing that at the same time as the WB-SB ramp. There's no reason they couldn't have. :koko:

I did drive through on Saturday to Beiseker and back on Saturday and then again Sunday to Strathmore.

The new temporary NB lanes are ready except for the tie-ins at each end. On the north end they are removing the the old temporary SB lanes so they can finish the tie-in for the NB. The south end looks to only need a bit of asphalt and it will be ready. The New Jersey Barriers are there and ready to be moved into place. I'm thinking by the end of this week for sure.

The lack of an acceleration lane for the WB-SB ramp is due to the temporary NB lanes pushing the SB lanes into what will become the acceleration lane. Once the final NB lanes are done there will be a long acceleration lane.

The NB-WB lane is certainly a long way from completion. They will be hard-pressed to get that open in November if the weather turns real crappy. The lights at Crow may be there for 2 left turn movements over the winter/spring - EB to NB and NB to WB. That would mean that EB Crow won't be free-flow for a while yet

[yeeg]

I noticed this AM that the eb crow lights were green for a lot longer than normal. Even if it isnt free flowing, at least the traffic will be moving a lot better.

[Oliver Klozov]

I noticed this AM that the eb crow lights were green for a lot longer than normal. Even if it isnt free flowing, at least the traffic will be moving a lot better.

I noticed that too albeit from the NB Stoney side of the lights which were a very short duration now ....:hell:

I suspect they've already set the timing in the controller for when the northbound lights are for a left turn only to WB Crowchild which is another reason why I think the new temporary NB lanes under the bridge will be open this week.

Another thing I noticed was that the lights for the ex-SB Stoney were already taken down.

[lubicon]

Anyone know if NB Stoney has been rerouted yet? I noticed yesterday that the overhad signs on the NB lanes just past the Tuscany interchange have been changed to show Stoney going straight and a right hand exit to get onto Crowchild. I'm pretty sure this is different than before but I can't ell for sure becasue I exit into Tuscany and can't see the Crowchild interchange.

[shevallo]

Anyone know if NB Stoney has been rerouted yet? I noticed yesterday that the overhad signs on the NB lanes just past the Tuscany interchange have been changed to show Stoney going straight and a right hand exit to get onto Crowchild. I'm pretty sure this is different than before but I can't ell for sure becasue I exit into Tuscany and can't see the Crowchild interchange.

It hadn't been rerouted when I went through this morning at about 7:15. I'm still guessing they'll wait until the NB-WB ramp is done before rerouting Stoney NB under the overpass. Otherwise, they would've done it already. I know the approaches weren't done, but they could've finished that the same night they opened SB.

Whatever they're doing traffic on the way home during rush hour (WB on Crowchild) is worse than ever. Backed up all the way to Crowfoot. I'm assuming that's due to poor re-timing of the lights at Crow WB at Stoney. It really sucks because I need to exit to Stoney North. That new exit is way back from the lights which is excellent, but not so if I have to sit in traffic to get to it.

[Cage]

For NB Stoney to be rerouted, then temporary road for SB Stoney needs to get ground, earth works adjusted to reflect ultimate design position for the road, and then surface applied. If construction runs out of time, there is always the option to tun NB Stoney undwer the bridge but continue to have Stoney Crow intersection active for those Turning NB-WB and EB-NB.

[freeweed]

Whatever they're doing traffic on the way home during rush hour (WB on Crowchild) is worse than ever. Backed up all the way to Crowfoot. I'm assuming that's due to poor re-timing of the lights at Crow WB at Stoney. It really sucks because I need to exit to Stoney North. That new exit is way back from the lights which is excellent, but not so if I have to sit in traffic to get to it.

Absolutely. My bus sits and sits and sits, and it basically has to travel about 100m between the Crowfoot offramp and the NB turn to Stoney. Unbelievable how long traffic sits now.

[shevallo]

It hadn't been rerouted when I went through this morning at about 7:15. I'm still guessing they'll wait until the NB-WB ramp is done before rerouting Stoney NB under the overpass. Otherwise, they would've done it already. I know the approaches weren't done, but they could've finished that the same night they opened SB.

Whatever they're doing traffic on the way home during rush hour (WB on Crowchild) is worse than ever. Backed up all the way to Crowfoot. I'm assuming that's due to poor re-timing of the lights at Crow WB at Stoney. It really sucks because I need to exit to Stoney North. That new exit is way back from the lights which is excellent, but not so if I have to sit in traffic to get to it.

I stand corrected. NB Stoney is now running under the new overpass as of this morning.

[freeweed]

I stand corrected. NB Stoney is now running under the new overpass as of this morning.

:banana: :banana: :banana:

[Cage]

Has anyone been able to figure out how NB Stoney to WB Crow traffic is being handled?

This morning it looked like the temporary detour was completely closed for NB Crow and al traffic was using the underpass. It would be cruel and usual punishment for a detour that involved CHB WB to 12MC SB just to get onto Crow WB.

[freeweed]

NB Stoney to either direction on Crowchild is still using the old routing. EB traffic goes off on its ramp, and WB traffic goes to the lights. I suspect this will remain until next year.

It's making a HUGE difference on traffic. Busy Saturday afternoon and that intersection is flowing smoothly for the first time in 5 years.

[Joborule]

Hey, I was curious if anyone have links to the initial and ultimate plans for the original SW Ring Road alignment? Can't find it on the Alberta government site.

Thanks.

[You Need A Thneed]

Hey, I was curious if anyone have links to the initial and ultimate plans for the original SW Ring Road alignment? Can't find it on the Alberta government site.

Thanks.

It's still there - Link. (http://www.transportation.alberta.ca/Content/docType52/Production/Tsuu_Tina_Final_Agreement_with_Schedules.pdf) Scoll to the end of the document.

[lubicon]

Nice to see the NB lanes going under the bridge now. Even nicer to see they have moved the end of the construction zone on NB Stoney to the south a significant difference so the speed limit goes back up to 80 about where the WB>NB ramp merges onto Stoney. But my question is now this - why the 80 speed limit in this area? it does not go up to 100 until just before Contry Hills Blvd. Why can't they put the limit up to 100 instead of a short section at 80 like it is now? I don't see a practical reason for it and nobody does 80 anyways. Maybe that's the answer - it gives CPS another spot to nail 'speeders' just like they were doing again on NB Stoney on top of the Tuscany overpass the other day.

[freeweed]

Nice to see the NB lanes going under the bridge now. Even nicer to see they have moved the end of the construction zone on NB Stoney to the south a significant difference so the speed limit goes back up to 80 about where the WB>NB ramp merges onto Stoney. But my question is now this - why the 80 speed limit in this area? it does not go up to 100 until just before Contry Hills Blvd. Why can't they put the limit up to 100 instead of a short section at 80 like it is now? I don't see a practical reason for it and nobody does 80 anyways. Maybe that's the answer - it gives CPS another spot to nail 'speeders' just like they were doing again on NB Stoney on top of the Tuscany overpass the other day.

I've been thinking a lot about this too. The only possible justification that I can see is that SB has the intermediate 80 slowdown before the construction zone (understandable), so maybe they're trying to keep both sides similar speeds? Otherwise yeah, it's just a CPS cash grab.

They're also heavily (like every 2 days) hitting people on the SB lanes right as it turns to 60. Every single time I go by they have 2-3 cars pulled over.

Ah well - one more year and all of this nonsense is finally over with. Until, of course, they start work on the LRT extension. That's sure to mean another summer or two of slowed construction zones. Oh, and Nose Hill. Well, by 2014 at least it'll all be done. :hell:

[lubicon]

I've been thinking a lot about this too. The only possible justification that I can see is that SB has the intermediate 80 slowdown before the construction zone (understandable), so maybe they're trying to keep both sides similar speeds? Otherwise yeah, it's just a CPS cash grab.

They're also heavily (like every 2 days) hitting people on the SB lanes right as it turns to 60. Every single time I go by they have 2-3 cars pulled over.

Ah well - one more year and all of this nonsense is finally over with. Until, of course, they start work on the LRT extension. That's sure to mean another summer or two of slowed construction zones. Oh, and Nose Hill. Well, by 2014 at least it'll all be done. :hell:

Don't forget about the pedestrian bridge between Tuscany and Scenic Acres. Construction should start right about the time they wrap up the interchange.

[freeweed]

Don't forget about the pedestrian bridge between Tuscany and Scenic Acres. Construction should start right about the time they wrap up the interchange.

Oh dear sweet jebus, I don't even recall that one. Of course it'll be underway when everything else is complete.

[You Need A Thneed]

Oh dear sweet jebus, I don't even recall that one. Of course it'll be underway when everything else is complete.

The city has awarded that contract already, according to thier website. It could start anytime. It might be done before everything is done at Crowchild.

[Koolfire]

I've been thinking a lot about this too. The only possible justification that I can see is that SB has the intermediate 80 slowdown before the construction zone (understandable), so maybe they're trying to keep both sides similar speeds? Otherwise yeah, it's just a CPS cash grab.

They're also heavily (like every 2 days) hitting people on the SB lanes right as it turns to 60. Every single time I go by they have 2-3 cars pulled over.

Ah well - one more year and all of this nonsense is finally over with. Until, of course, they start work on the LRT extension. That's sure to mean another summer or two of slowed construction zones. Oh, and Nose Hill. Well, by 2014 at least it'll all be done. :hell:

No worries I'm sure by 2014 they'll be looking at doing 14th St interchange by Panorama. ;)

[freeweed]

No worries I'm sure by 2014 they'll be looking at doing 14th St interchange by Panorama. ;)

There are at least 2 graded and ready to go on that stretch. Those ones won't bother me as much because they'll only be down to 80, and only for a single spring/summer/fall season. At least based on Centre St.

I'm much more worried about the upcoming tripling of the lanes. I think it will come sooner than a lot of people realize - it's crazy how busy Stoney is some days, considering how much empty space surrounds it. Just wait until Calgary builds a few more neighbourhoods in the area.