The path of Stage B of the replacement Bearspaw South feeder main line has been determined, and work will begin in late spring, the City of Calgary said.
The city released plans via media release on Friday morning for the Stage B project, which will run from 73 Street NW to 87 Street.
The new line will run under 34 Avenue NW, according to the city. The current Bearspaw South line is under 33 Avenue NW, they said.
It will be built using an open-cut method, also known as cut and cover. It involves crews digging a trench along the road right of way, installing the pipe in the trench, and then backfilling it and restoring the surface.
“This approach allows the work to be completed more efficiently and significantly reduces the overall construction schedule,” read the City of Calgary release.
The Stage A portion is being done via micro-tunneling, which the City said previously was to limit the interruption and impact to the neighbouring communities.
“The City recognizes that open-cut construction will result in significant impacts for residents in the area including traffic disruptions, noise, street parking impacts, dust and changes to local access,” they said.
“Plans are rapidly evolving, and teams are currently assessing the full scope of impacts.”
In follow-up questions to the city, they said this was the best course of action to support the accelerated timeline and the alignment of Stage B.
“Stage B does not have crossings like the Bow River or CPKC rail line that we are accommodating by microtunnelling for Stage A,” they wrote in an emailed response.
They said the construction will be sequenced in large sections, with one or two sections being done and completed at each time. Once construction is complete and the road surface is complete and reopened, they will move on to the next area.
“This approach helps reduce the duration of localized impacts,” the city release read.
The City of Calgary said that construction would begin in May 2026 and be complete by sometime in October.
