The $1.42 billion, 31-kilometre Southwest Calgary Ring Road connects Highway 8 (near the Elbow Springs Golf Club) to Macleod Trail SE and makes up about 20 per cent of the entire Calgary Ring Road. Strengthening our workforce is one of the key pillars in Alberta’s Recovery Plan. This project created approximately 2,000 jobs.

“The Southwest Calgary Ring Road will help drivers in and around Calgary get where they need to go faster and safer, while also providing world-class transportation infrastructure necessary to support Alberta’s economic recovery. This is a great day for Calgary.” 

Jason Kenney, Premier

“Opening this section of the Calgary Ring Road is a major accomplishment, and builds on Alberta’s Recovery Plan to create jobs, build infrastructure and diversify our economy. This route is part of a larger east-west trade corridor that will enhance access to markets in and out of Alberta. This is also great news for Calgary drivers, who will spend less time travelling to work or taking their kids to school or sports.”

Rajan Sawhney, Minister of Transportation

“This newest portion of Calgary’s Ring Road to open will help create prosperity, employment, and economic growth in Alberta for years to come. As Alberta’s government builds for the future, this critical infrastructure, only made possible by the goodwill of the Tsuut'ina people, will help ensure our workforce can meet the demand for highly-skilled workers in all sectors of the economy. It is my fervent wish that the Tsuut’ina people benefit right along with other Albertans.”

Ric McIver, Minister of Municipal Affairs

12 kilometres of the Southwest Calgary Ring Road opened in October 2020. A 10-kilometre section through the former Tsuut’ina Nation lands is called Tsuut’ina Trail.

“The opening of this section of our ring road is an important link for our city’s future growth and transport infrastructure. The Southwest now has another connection to provide access for residents and businesses to discover and interact with more communities across Calgary.”

Naheed Nenshi, Mayor of Calgary

Once complete, the Calgary Ring Road will provide 101 kilometres of free-flow travel supporting economic growth, creating new travel options for parts of the city that have been underserved for decades, and improving market access across the region.

Alberta’s Recovery Plan is a plan to breathe new life into Alberta’s economy and create new opportunities for every Albertan. It’s a plan to build, to diversify, and to create jobs.

Quick facts

  • The (SWCRR) connects Highway 8 and Highway 22X at Macleod Trail.
  • The project consists of:
    • 49 bridges
    • 31 kilometres of new six and eight-lane divided highway
    • 14 interchanges
    • three river crossings
    • two river realignments (Elbow River and Fish Creek)
    • two bridge rehabilitations
    • one road flyover
    • one railway crossing (flyover)
    • one tunnel
  • Cost – $1.42 billion; including $333.6 million from the Government of Canada’s National Infrastructure Component.
  • Construction began in 2016 and supported about 2,000 jobs.
  • Traffic projections – between 80,000 and 100,000 vehicles per day by 2050.
  • Construction involved:
    • 16 million cubic metres of excavated earth. If 1,650 NHL sized rinks full of dirt were stacked on top of each other, that’s how much earth was moved for this project.
    • 13 million kilograms of rebar
    • One million metric tonnes of asphalt
  • During the 2020 and 2021 construction seasons, work included:
    • landscaping, grading, completion of drainage
    • electrical work on street and traffic lights
    • signage, safety barrier and guardrail installation
    • utility work, base and finish paving, and line painting 
  • Tsuut’ina Trail, (Sarcee Trail to Fish Creek Boulevard) opened on October 1, 2020.
  • The final section of the ring road, the West Calgary Ring Road, will fully open in 2024.