Construction work on the Deer’s Foot Trail and the Beddington Trail has been completed.

Some of the construction work along the Deerfoot Trail has already been completed, but Calgarians can expect more work to be done on the busy road over the next few years.

At an event Friday, the province announced that the extension of the Deerfoot Trail, along with a new connection to the Beddington Trail and nearby 11 Street NE, is complete.

The province says the new link will divert “significant” traffic between McKnight Boulevard and Beddington Trail and improve safety on the northern Deerfoot Trail.

“The province’s $700 million investment in Deerfoot is good news for Calgarians, so they can spend more time at home and not be stuck in traffic,” Devin Dreschen, Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors, said Friday.

The project, which began in the spring of 2023, would connect 11 Street NE with the Beddington Trail west and Deerfoot to the north. It also added a fourth continuous lane to Deerfoot Trail in each direction from Airport Trail to Beddington Trail.

In total, the connector project cost $19 million. This project is the second segment of the Deerfoot Trail to be improved as part of a larger infrastructure activity.

While construction work is being completed, the road and new lanes will reopen on Saturday.

“There are a lot of very significant improvements that will allow Calgarians to get around more efficiently, and of course it’s not just about moving people, it’s about moving goods,” said Andre Chabot, Ward 10 Councillor.

Improvements began in 2022 with work on 64 Avenue ending in 2023. Other projects will continue on the Deerfoot Trail, including increasing capacity on ramps, adding lanes, reconfiguring exits and intersections and creating a bridge.

Future improvements are expected to be completed by fall 2027. In total, the province allocated $523.8 million for these upgrades.

Other areas along the Deerfoot Trail currently undergoing improvements include:

• McKnight Boulevard: Work began in 2023 and is expected to be completed in the fall of 2025;
• Bow Bottom Trail/Anderson Road, Southland Drive, and Glenmore Trail: Work began in 2023 and is expected to be completed in the fall of 2027;
• 16 Avenue NE: Work began in Spring 2024 and is expected to be completed in Fall 2025; and
• Ivor Strong Bridge: Twinning is expected to be completed in autumn 2027.

The province says up to 180,000 vehicles travel the Deerfoot route each day.