Aldermen want new Airport Trail report

Calgary city council has asked administrators to produce a report in January on the total costs of completing Airport Trail, including the airport tunnel and related interchanges.

The tunnel, which passes beneath a newly built runway at Calgary International Airport, will link Airport Trail (96th Avenue N.E.) on the west side of the airport with 36th Street N.E. on the other side. The road will eventually connect Harvest Hills Link with Stoney Trail East.

Ald.Gord Lowe, an outspoken opponent of the tunnel, was among 10 council members who voted for the new report.

The tunnel  "connects to a road that goes nowhere," Lowe said. "It connects nobody to nothing. We don't know how much it's going to cost, and alls I'm asking is once we connect it up, how much is it going to cost?"

Lowe said he suspects the original $300-million price tag will rise to more than $400-million when the related road work is taken into account.

Mayor Naheed Nenshi called council's decision a waste of time and money, a rehash of an issue that's already been decided.

"Many of the folks who are on the current council suggested that this was one of the reasons the old council didn't work very well, so it's important to nip these things in the bud," the mayor said. "I think and everything that was asked for today has been discussed ad infinitum at council.

"There was a special website with this information on it, so to ask for it again, in my opinion, was a waste of time and money."