Stampede LRT station revamp will allow 17th Avenue to extend into park

Construction got underway Thursday on a major overhaul of the Victoria Park/Stampede LRT station that includes knocking down the elevated portion to bring passenger access to street level.

The project will also result in 17th Avenue being extended eastward into Stampede Park at a level crossing of the tracks.

Between now and October, crews will remove the staircases to the existing station along Macleod Trail and from Stampede Park, according to a release from the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC), which is managing the project.

Accessible street-level pedestrian crossings at Macleod Trail to the station and street-level access across the LRT tracks into Stampede Park will be added.

A temporary LRT station and platform will be built  to allow transit riders to continue to board the train at Victoria Park/Stampede while construction is underway.

Opening the park to 17th Avenue is happening at the same time as a major extension of the BMO Centre gets underway, with that $500-million project slated for completion in 2024. 

The new LRT station is slated for completion in 2023, while the 17th Avenue extension will be finished in co-ordination with the BMO Centre expansion.

"We are co-ordinating with our partners at Calgary Transit and Calgary Stampede to minimize disruptions while we complete these improvements," said CMLC president Kate Thompson in a release.

"When the dust settles, we'll be a big step closer to realizing our vision for transforming east Victoria Park into Calgary's thriving Culture + Entertainment District."

There will be periodic lane closures on northbound Macleod Trail during construction.

"The extension of 17th Avenue is a long-needed linkage in the area that will help Calgarians be better connected to this historic and iconic part of the city," Jim Laurendeau, vice-president of park planning and development with the Calgary Stampede, said in a release.