Calgary’s Stoney Trail Ring Road Reaches Full Completion After Decades of Construction
The final southwest segment opens to traffic, giving Calgary a complete 101-kilometre freeway loop.
Calgary’s Stoney Trail ring road is now complete following the opening of the final southwest segment, giving the city a continuous 101-kilometre freeway loop after more than two decades of phased construction.
A Long Time Coming
The $1.4-billion southwest leg, connecting Glenmore Trail to Trans-Canada Highway west of the city, opened to traffic Tuesday morning with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by provincial and city officials.
“This is a generational investment in Calgary’s transportation network,” said Alberta Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen. “Stoney Trail will serve this city for decades to come.”
Traffic Relief
Transportation engineers estimate the completed ring road will remove approximately 30,000 vehicles per day from residential streets and older arterial roads, reducing commute times for southwest and west Calgary communities by up to 20 minutes.
The six-lane freeway includes interchanges at 17 Avenue SW, Old Banff Coach Road, and the Trans-Canada Highway, along with dedicated cycling and pedestrian pathways.
Economic Impact
The ring road has already spurred commercial and industrial development along its corridor, with several major logistics and distribution centres locating near new interchanges.
“Complete ring roads are economic multipliers,” said Calgary Chamber of Commerce president Deborah Chicken-Chief. “Businesses can now move goods efficiently around the city without fighting through urban traffic.”
First conceived in the 1990s, Stoney Trail was built in segments over 22 years at a total cost of approximately $4.5 billion. It is the longest urban ring road in Canada.
