Calgary’s Glenmore Trail is one of the most important transportation routes in the city, but over the past 60 years changes in traffic patterns have created challenges and obstacles for the roadway system.
Opened 1963, Glenmore Trail provided an important connection to the southwest area of Calgary. However, as the city’s population continues to grow, public pressure has also increased asking for updates and changes to made.
Consequently, there have been multiple adjustments to Glenmore Trail in the last few years, including a major undertaking in 2008 that saw more roadways and interchanges to improve traffic flows.
Zeeshan Abdy, the project manager for the Glenmore Trail Study, said the objective of this study is to find the merging, congestion and safety issues occurring in that area.
“This section of the Glenmore Trail (eastbound to Deerfoot Trail) is experiencing congestion and long queues during both the morning and afternoon peak periods. We are also looking into sections such as the Crowchild and 14th Street where drivers experience speed changes, merging challenges and congestion. And these conditions actually increase the risk of collisions,” said Abdy.
Abdy said the priority continues to be road safety and to find ways to minimize accidents moving forward.
“Safety is one of the main reasons this study is being undertaken along this section of the Glenmore Trail. Our goal is to identify improvements that can make the corridor safer and more reliable for everyone using it,” Abdy said.
Glenmore Trail carries about 150,000 vehicles a day, which is one of the busiest routes in Calgary. The interchange between Glenmore Trail and Deerfoot Trail Southeast roadway has previously ranked fifth among the 20 most accident-prone locations in the city, according to The City of Calgary data.
Abdy said that he also wants to hear from Calgarians any responses, suggestions, or ideas to improve the roadway.
“We do have a website dedicated to this study where Calgarians can go and provide us feedback. For those who are reading this, they can go to Glenmore Trail Functional Planning or by email at glenmorestudy@calgary.ca and they can reach out to the design team with their ideas and other preexisting concerns.”
Abdy and his team are hopeful the study will finish in the summer of 2027.