Major section of 14th Street S.W. closed to traffic over Easter weekend

Drivers in Calgary will want to steer well clear of 14th Street S.W. if they can over the Easter weekend as the city shuts down an entire stretch for work on the new Bus Rapid Transit lanes.

Northbound 14th Street and eastbound 90th Avenue between 16th Street and 14th Street S.W. was shut to vehicle traffic at 9 a.m. on Thursday.

Westbound 90th Avenue between 16th Street and 14th Street S.W. is also reduced to a single lane of traffic.

At 7 p.m. on Thursday, southbound 14th Street S.W. and westbound 90th Avenue S.W. between 16th Street and 14th Street S.W. will also be closed to vehicle traffic.

Area councillor

Ward 11 Coun. Jeremy Farkas, who campaigned against the transit project, says the process is meant to help get the work done more quickly, reducing the impact on Glenmore Landing businesses and area residents, rather than having construction spread out for weeks and weeks.

"I don't think that the project is worth it, which is why I went to council actually asking for council to revisit this constructiondid we need to do it now, with this economy?And did we have to do it before the ring road comes online? Questions like that," Farkas said.

"But given that we're left really just holding the bag, my focus has been trying to reduce the impact. So I think that this is probably the better of, frankly, some not-very-great alternatives. We're left in a situation where we're just trying to do the best that we can."

While the intersection is closed, residents and commuters are asked to use Elbow Drive or Macleod Trail for north and southbound travel, and Southland Drive to get to neighbourhoods west of 14th Street S.W.

GlenmoreLanding shops

Farkas has been working with businesses in theGlenmore Landing shopping centre, and says their main concern is the loss of access for traffic. A temporary gravel slip lane from southbound 14th Street S.W. has been set up for business access to Glenmore Landing starting at 7 p.m. on Thursday.

"It is at best a compromise," Farkassaid. "But I've been trying to react to what the businesses who are quite franklystruggling in Glenmore landing have been asking for, in terms of keeping their operations viable, while reducing the level of impacts to people who have to get in and out of the area."

Heritage Park which has lots of special Easter events planned, including a brunch, egg painting and a vintage car show can still beaccessed via Heritage Driveand southbound 14th Street, a spokesperson said.

Some details

Emergency vehicle access to 90th Avenue S.W. will be maintained.

Baring delays, the city says, northbound 14th Street S.W. will reopen on Monday, April 22, at 5 a.m.

Southbound 14th Street and westbound 90th Avenue S.W. will reopen April 22 at 3 p.m.

And Eastbound 90th Avenue S.W. will reopen on April 23 at 5 a.m.

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"We're shutting down the intersection for the long weekend in order to complete a lot of deep utility works, including water lines, sanitary lineand storm line, as well as some removals of someold oil pipelines in the intersection," he said.

Ongoing consultation

Ward 11 includes Palliser, Oakridge and Braeside, communities that will feel the effects of the construction project.Farkassaid his constituents are concerned about seeing ambulances stuck in traffic, and also aboutreduced access to public transit.

"I live in the neighbourhood, just in Palliser, and it's been a real pain getting in and out," Farkas said. "People were sold on the southwest BRT as across-the-board improving transit access. So I think that it could be an unintended and very unfortunate consequence that bus access is actually reduced as a result of this project being implemented."

Farkassaid the project is still in the early stages and he plans to consult with constituents as it goes forward.

"I'm eager to hear from people in terms of what they find to be useful about their bus routes, and I'm going to be making sure that I advocate strongly to make sure that it stays useful for people."