Deerfoot Trail Partners, solely comprised of Aecon Infrastructure Management, has been selected as the preferred proponent to work on the Ivor Strong Bridge, Anderson Road/Bow Bottom Trail, Southland Drive and Glenmore Trail. Aecon Transportation West Ltd. was selected to complete improvements at Beddington Trail NW/11 Street NE. The construction cost for the two projects is about $615 million.

“Deerfoot Trail is a vital north-south commuter and transportation corridor through Calgary, moving people and goods across the province. That’s why it is so important that we are moving ahead with these projects that will reduce congestion and travel times on Alberta’s busiest highway.”

Devin Dreeshen, Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors

Improvements include increasing capacity on ramps, adding lanes, reconfiguring exits and intersections, and twinning a bridge. They will address key bottlenecks on Deerfoot Trail between Glenmore Trail and Anderson Road/Bow Bottom Trail.

“Many of my constituents in Calgary-Peigan use Deerfoot Trail every single day to get to work, school or to their recreational activities. I’m glad to see our government is taking action to improve their lives by addressing the biggest issues that Deerfoot Trail has which contribute to traffic jams and commuter delays. These intersection upgrades and roadway expansions will mean improved traffic flow and reduced travel times for drivers. That means more time to spend with family and friends and less time stuck in traffic.”

Tanya Fir, MLA for Calgary-Peigan

“The constituents of Calgary-Klein know the pain of being stuck in traffic on Deerfoot Trail all too well. These improvements are much needed and will help them spend more time with their families, as their commutes to school, the grocery store and work will be faster than ever before.”

Jeremy Nixon, MLA for Calgary-Klein

“The fact that the province is willing to invest so much into the most heavily used road in our city to improve it and to make it safer and more usable for Calgarians is tremendous. I think all Calgarians will very much appreciate this opportunity and recognize that there will be some anticipated disruptions in the traffic as a result of the major construction work. I encourage Calgarians to please be patient because the short-term pain will result in tremendous long-term gains, with improvements to the safety and mobility along Deerfoot Trail. I applaud the province for stepping up and delivering on this project that has been long awaited by Calgarians.”

Andre Chabot, Ward 10 councillor, City of Calgary

Improvements will enhance safety and save time for commuters. When completed, drivers can expect their commutes to be 15 per cent faster during morning rush hour and about 22 per cent faster during evening rush hour. Taken together, these upgrades will save approximately 900,000 hours a year for Calgarians, which will provide an economic boost of about $23 million a year.

“We look forward to bringing our experience delivering large-scale transportation projects to improve the safety, mobility and capacity of this important corridor. This project will benefit growing communities, and we are pleased to expand our relationship with Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors.”

Jean-Louis Servranckx, president and CEO, Aecon Group Inc.

 “The commitment to improve Deerfoot Trail will solidify Calgary as Western Canada’s inland port with infrastructure that supports a vibrant, healthy and accessible city,” “More than sixteen million consumers can be reached from Calgary by road in less than a day, and with more efficient movement of goods and people Calgary will continue to be a leading transportation and logistics hub in Canada.”

Brad Parry, President and CEO, Calgary Economic Development and CEO, Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund.

“The Calgary Airport Authority supports the planned improvements for Deerfoot Trail. These improvements will benefit the YYC Calgary International Airport by enabling cargo to transport more freely onto and from Deerfoot Trail. In addition, visitors to Calgary and area will be able to enjoy their vacations sooner due to better traffic flow.”

Bob Sartor, president and CEO, The Calgary Airport Authority

Improvements to Deerfoot Trail are being completed in distinct projects, prioritizing work on the most congested areas that can be completed quickly.

Budget 2023 secures Alberta’s future by transforming the health-care system to meet people’s needs, supporting Albertans with the high cost of living, keeping our communities safe and driving the economy with more jobs, quality education and continued diversification.

Quick facts

  • Deerfoot Trail handles 180,000 vehicles per day.

  • Construction on the design build contract is expected to begin this year and be completed in 2027 and includes the following:

    • Ivor Strong Bridge:

      • twinning the Ivor Strong Bridge

    • Anderson Road/Bow Bottom Trail:

      • increasing capacity on ramps with high traffic volumes

      • adding a third continuous lane in each direction

      • reconfiguring the exit from northbound Deerfoot Trail to Bow Bottom/Anderson Road

    • Southland Drive:

      • increasing capacity on ramps with high traffic volumes

      • reconfiguring the west intersection at Southland Drive

      • adding a third continuous lane in each direction

    • Glenmore Trail:

      • twinning the bridge over Glenmore Trail

      • adding a third continuous lane on Deerfoot Trail in each direction

      • safety and capacity improvements on ramps from southbound Deerfoot Trail

  • Construction for the Beddington Trail/11 Street NE project is expected to begin this year and be completed in 2025 and includes the following:

    • connecting 11 Street NE to westbound Beddington Trail and northbound Deerfoot Trail

    • adding a fourth continuous lane in each direction from Airport Trail to Beddington Trail

  • Construction at 64 Avenue NE and Deerfoot Trail began in early 2023.

  • Additional contracts are also expected to move forward to procurement for further improvements at McKnight Boulevard NE and 16 Avenue NE.