Transportation Improvement Program 2020
Transportation Improvement Program 2020 (TIP20) is a grouping of several approved projects for efficiency in design, procurement, and construction. These projects generally overlap in physical location, and all tie into the Bow Valley Trail / Benchlands Trail / Railway Ave intersection. Design work is underway, with the majority of construction scheduled for 2020 and substantial completion planned for July 2021.
Projects include:
- Upper Benchlands Mill and Overlay, Intersection Improvements
- Palliser Trail Connections and Benchlands Overpass
- Bow Valley Trail/ Benchlands / Railway Ave Intersection
- Bow Valley Trail West Pathway Improvements
- Bow Valley Trail – Fire Flow and Wastewater Improvements
- Railway Ave South Transit Corridor
There are a number of advantages of combining these projects including:
- Better coordination of project through a single consultant;
- Coordination of underground and surface works;
- A single prime contractor, one safety program;
- Improved coordination of traffic impacts between sites and contractors, a single over-arching traffic accommodation plan;
- Reduced administration work and potential for cost savings/economies of scale.
Upper Benchlands Mill & Overlay, Intersection Improvements
Traffic assessment and engagement work on this corridor indicate that there are operational and safety hazards at present. A design approach was applied in a 2018 pilot project that included paint and bollards to simulate the narrowing of roadway and intersections with reduced crossing distances. The pilot was generally unsuccessful in reducing speeds and improving pedestrian comfort. Alternative approaches to traffic calming based on the pdf 2018 Integrated Transportation Plan (12.16 MB) recommendations for collector roadways are being analyzed for this area.
Design concepts and costs will be brought forward to Council in the fall. An option to move forward within the current budget will also be presented at that time.
Palliser Trail/ Benchlands Overpass
Palliser Trail is identified as an important link in the town’s network of walking and cycling infrastructure. It is also seeing increased development, and the Town has prioritized making improvements to the transportation infrastructure along this corridor, to connect it with the Town Centre and other community amenities.
More information on this part of the project is available on the Palliser Trail project webpage
Bow Valley Trail/ Benchlands / Railway Ave Intersection
This intersection will re-built as part of this project. The design will accommodate the future work on Railway Avenue and will align with the direction of the 2018 ITP.
*The final design will have one lane heading towards downtown once Railway Ave Central is constructed*
Legend:
- red - cycling lane
- light grey - sidewalk
- brown - shared multi-use pathway
Bow Valley Trail West Pathway Improvements
The pathway on the west side of Bow Valley Trail will be completed (section near the railway crossing was improved in 2017) as part of this project. The pathway will be raised to road level an separated from the road from the BVT/Benchlands/Railway intersection to the BVT/Railway/17 St. intersection. Some photos of the section that was completed in 2017 are below.
Railway Ave South Transit Corridor
A concept design for Railway Avenue has been developed based on the pdf 2018 Integrated Transportation Plan (12.16 MB) updates, survey and traffic data collected in 2016, and a series of engagement workshops held in 2018. Work will continue on refining designs for Railway Ave including engagement with impacted stakeholders along the corridor in 2020. For this project an official pathway connection will be built into Spring Creek Mountain Village and the new complete street work to allow pedestrians and cyclists to move into the downtown corridor on protected infrastructure.
To view the concept designs for Railway Ave visit the Railway Avenue project webpage
Project Timelines
Construction for this project will start in early 2020, with substantial completion prior to July 1, 2021. The majority of the work will be done over the 2020 construction season. More detailed timelines and impacts will be available as we get closer to the launch of the project.
