Calgary water main construction reaches next phase

A new water feeder main is coming to Calgary's northwest. Construction will take place at two locations and should be complete in June.

The second stage of construction of Calgary’s problematic Bearspaw South Feeder Main is underway.

A new parallel water feeder main will be installed along 34 Avenue N.W., between 73 and 89 Street.

The city will use what they are calling an “open-cut” method for the build — which involves digging a trench and restoring the surface to its pre-constructed state — to install the new pipe quickly.

“It (the feeder main) is critically ill and it needs to be replaced,” said the City of Calgary’s General Manager of Instructure Services Michael Thompson.

He added the city has seen 15 breaks on the pipe since January.

Crews will begin cross connection work at 77 Street N.W. and 83 Street N.W. between 33 and 34 Avenue N.W. to connect future replacement pipe to the larger system. That work is expected to be complete in June.

Thompson says that while crews are on schedule, Calgarians should prepare for the worst.

“In case the pipe does break, we would need to go into stage four water restrictions and indoor water conservation,” Thompson said.

“We don’t have an indication that that will happen, but we want to make sure everyone is as prepared as possible.”

Darren Finney, the city’s manager of major projects and utilities delivery, says the surrounding project could cause delays, parking restrictions and short-term access changes for the next two months.

“We’ll be going along the block and putting in temporary water services and items like that,” Finney said. He expects the installation of the pipe will take four weeks in front of each block.

City officials say the first phase of the project is on schedule, with more than one kilometre of the 3.7-kilometre pipe already installed.

On Wednesday, the city will begin construction on the final vertical shaft located on 16 Avenue near 44 Street N.W.

Connecting both parts of the pipe is expected in the fall, and the project is expected to be finished by December.