Green Line transitway construction gets underway in southeast Calgary

Construction has begun on the first of several roadway improvements along the route that will eventually be transformed into the Green Line's southeast transitway.

This first initiative — which the city is dubbing "Quick Wins" — is at the intersection of Barlow Trail and 114th Avenue S.E.

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It includes a second left-turn lane from northbound Barlow to Westbound 114th Avenue and a lengthened eastbound right-turn lane.

The $764-million bus-only transitway was approved last year by city council. It will become part of the Green Line, which will eventually run from the city’s far north to the South Health Campus in the far south.

"Both of these changes will help improve traffic flow through the intersection and thereby help to reduce bus travel time for the BRT Route 302 in the southeast," said the city in a release.

"The city’s analysis shows that these changes could reduce overall delays by up to 16 per cent during the morning peak period."

Additional initiatives are being planned by the city for construction in 2015:

• Widening 52nd Street S.E. between 130th Avenue and Stoney Trail from four to six lanes to implement transit-only lanes.
• Relocate bus routes off Deerfoot Trail to access 114th Avenue S.E. using 40th Street S.E., plus adding a half-kilometre of new roadway.
• Widening 130th Avenue S.E. between 48th Street and 52nd Street from four to six lanes to implement transit-only lanes.
• Construct transit queue jumps and reprioritize signals and install signals at various locations.

The city says the transitway, which will one day stretch 26 kilometres, could eventually be converted into an LRT line.

The city says the first phase of Green Line construction will run 13 kilometres from Fourth Street S.E. to Douglas Glen.