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Roads, Highways & Infrastructure

Am I correct in seeing that they're not upgrading the northbound deerfoot to westbound Glenmore interchange? If so that's a little disappointing.
I think there's always been a multi-phase approach to the Deerfoot/Glenmore interchange. The initial improvements are twinning the bridge to get rid of the 2-lane squeeze, as already outlined; while the ultimate improvements are building WB --> NB and NB --> WB flyovers, C/D lanes on Glenmore Tr between Blackfoot Tr & Deerfoot Tr, and reconfiguring Glenmore/Blackfoot interchange. Based on various studies that have come out, including the Deerfoot Trail Phase 4 Final Recommendation Report (2020), one would think (hope) that the ultimate build out is still in the works, or at the very least one that includes the missing link. Considering it's two of the city's busiest roadways intersecting, it's an improvement that's way overdue.
 
^
Do they need a flyover for WB to NB or do you mean WB to SB ?

Agree with your comment about two of the busiest roads in the city with this sub-standard interchange - never really understood that.

Thanks for the info.
 
^
Do they need a flyover for WB to NB or do you mean WB to SB ?

Agree with your comment about two of the busiest roads in the city with this sub-standard interchange - never really understood that.

Thanks for the info.
Two most need movements for flyovers would be NB to WB and EB to NB. NB to WB doesn’t have a movement at this time
 
^
Do they need a flyover for WB to NB or do you mean WB to SB ?

Agree with your comment about two of the busiest roads in the city with this sub-standard interchange - never really understood that.

Thanks for the info.
The issue has always been lack of space due to the Lafarge cement plant. From a traffic volume perspective, a NB --> WB loop would probably be sufficient, but there's no room so they would have to squeeze in a flyover instead.
Deerfoot_Glenmore_Ulitmate.PNG

Considering that around the time that Deerfoot Trail was constructed, the CoC was studying an E-W expressway along 50 Ave S (Peigan Trail is the only constructed portion), one could speculate the the original plan never was to have Glenmore Trail as the main E-W crosstown route. The plans are at the Central Library, and indicated the E-W route would have continued due east from the present-day Glenmore Trail/37 St SW interchange along 50 Ave alignment to Deerfoot Trail near the CP underpass (just south of the Calf Robe Bridge). If you ever grab an ice cream in Britannia, visit Sandy Beach, or the newer developments at MRU, imagine that's the freeway site. Good thing that never materialized, but we're left with trying to upgrade Glenmore Trail.
 
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We are also still trying to upgrade 50th Avenue as well!
The dreams of generations of Calgary transportation engineers can never die - Need more arterials! Need east and west to connect!

The funny part is how Calgary was still somewhat successful on building parts of the network at full-scale, only to not achieve the connectivity that was the whole goal (Peigan Trail, 25th Avenue SE between MacLeod and Dartmouth Road etc.). Other places would have got a simple 2-lane road through the whole corridor when first proposed, then try upgrading the corridor width when it was needed decades later. We somehow ended up with no connectivity in some areas and over-built stuff in others (4 lanes on parts of 50th or 25th Ave SE that will never need it unless we connected it to something).

Isn't there still some 25th Avenue SE connection plan on the books along a similar decades old plan?
 
The issue has always been lack of space due to the Lafarge cement plant. From a traffic volume perspective, a NB --> WB loop would probably be sufficient, but there's no room so they would have to squeeze in a flyover instead.
View attachment 575161
Considering that around the time that Deerfoot Trail was constructed, the CoC was studying an E-W expressway along 50 Ave S (Peigan Trail is the only constructed portion), one could speculate the the original plan never was to have Glenmore Trail as the main E-W crosstown route. The plans are at the Central Library, and indicated the E-W route would have continued due east from the present-day Glenmore Trail/37 St SW interchange along 50 Ave alignment to Deerfoot Trail near the CP underpass (just south of the Calf Robe Bridge). If you ever grab an ice cream in Britannia, visit Sandy Beach, or the newer developments at MRU, imagine that's the freeway site. Good thing that never materialized, but we're left with trying to upgrade Glenmore Trail.
Acquiring additional land would be very simple as the needed land is currently side road and storage yard.
 
Of course the city and province act like it is impossible even when it would typically be much cheaper and faster to acquire land.

Not that I think the movement is particularly bad or needed or easy to be compatible with modern separation standards.
 
Of course the city and province act like it is impossible even when it would typically be much cheaper and faster to acquire land.

Not that I think the movement is particularly bad or needed or easy to be compatible with modern separation standards.
I'm surprised that the movement doesn't have more traffic. That may be because it is so difficult. A dedicated flyover would likely unlock latent demand. Ultimately, Glenmore will become Calgary's most important road:
-near the N-S axis of the city
-links all of the major freeways (Stoney East bypass, Stoney West bypass, Deerfoot, Crowchild)
-traverses the bottleneck created by Glenmore Reservoir
-services the enormous commercial traffic generator of Foothills Industrial

Does the new bridge under construction at Deerfoot allow 4 through lanes each way on Glenmore?

I could see that island of land wedged between Deerfoot, Glenmore and the river being redevelopment in the medium term. It would likely need to be raised above flood plain.
 
I'm surprised that the movement doesn't have more traffic. That may be because it is so difficult. A dedicated flyover would likely unlock latent demand.
I agree. I sometimes find myself exiting Deerfoot at Southland and then taking Blackfoot to WB Glenmore. Saves a bunch of hassle
 
You choose 5 traffic lights instead of 1?
They're usually green, except for the one right before the ramp to Glenmore interestingly. And there seems to be less slowing down.

Anyway Google is telling me 6 minutes/4.8 km for this vs 5 minutes/5.5 km for Heritage Meadows.
 
I'm surprised that the movement doesn't have more traffic. That may be because it is so difficult. A dedicated flyover would likely unlock latent demand. Ultimately, Glenmore will become Calgary's most important road:
-near the N-S axis of the city
-links all of the major freeways (Stoney East bypass, Stoney West bypass, Deerfoot, Crowchild)
-traverses the bottleneck created by Glenmore Reservoir
-services the enormous commercial traffic generator of Foothills Industrial

Does the new bridge under construction at Deerfoot allow 4 through lanes each way on Glenmore?

I could see that island of land wedged between Deerfoot, Glenmore and the river being redevelopment in the medium term. It would likely need to be raised above flood plain.
I agree - and have also wondered if the new Deerfoot bridge over Glenmore eliminates the double pier and just has a single center pier to allow Glenmore to be widened beyond 2 lanes each direction when the existing bridge is demolished - I sure hope so.
 

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