New Ivor Strong Bridge on Calgary’s Deerfoot Trail to open on July 27

The Alberta government describes it as a “milestone” for the massive construction project taking place along Calgary’s Deerfoot Trail.

The new Ivor Strong Bridge over the Bow River, located between the southeast communities of Douglasdale and Diamond Cove, is expected to open to traffic on July 27, helping to relieve congestion at a major choke-point along one of the province’s busiest transportation corridors.

Traffic in both directions will shift to the new bridge once it is open, allowing for rehabilitation work to be done on the older, existing bridge.

When that work is completed, all northbound traffic on Deerfoot will shift back to the old bridge, while southbound traffic will use the new bridge — with four lanes of traffic operating in each direction.

The entire Deerfoot Trail Improvement Project — which includes 70 kilometres of road resurfacing, 40 kilometres of lane widening, 20 kilometres of new concrete barriers, rehabilitation of two existing bridges, construction of seven new bridges and installation of new lighting along 77 per cent of Deerfoot Trail — is expected to cost $700 million.

“The Anderson intersection should be completed by this fall. That’s the target,” said Alberta’s minister of transportation and economic corridors, Devin Dreeshen.

“Four major parts have already been completed on the north side, near the airport. That includes McKnight Boulevard, 16th Avenue, Beddington Trail and 64th Avenue.”

The provincial government estimates that once the Ivor Strong Bridge replacement project is complete, the drive time for morning commuters using the bridge will be cut by about 15 per cent, while the time needed for the evening commute will be reduced by up to 22 per cent.

Deerfoot Trail, which is one of the major north-south freeways in the city of Calgary, has been in operation since the 1970s and is travelled by up to 180,000 vehicles daily.