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Work on the second stage of construction to the Bearspaw feeder main is expected to begin this week, according to the city.
Over the next six months, crews will install a new steel pipe parallel to the existing one, with construction beginning Monday along 34th Avenue N.W. at 83rd Street N.W. and 77th Street N.W.
The new pipe will be the same size as the existing pipe, and is expected to take over service from the 50-year-old line after it ruptured twice in 18 months, between summer 2024 and the end of 2025.
Earlier this year, work on an accelerated timeline for the feeder main replacement project began with reinforcement work on nine segments of the existing pipe between the Shaganappi Pump Station and 73rd Street N.W.
The second stage of replacement work on the Bearspaw feeder main involves laying a new pipe parallel to the existing one along 34th Avenue N.W. (City of Calgary)
In a news release Monday, the city said reinforcement work on the current pipe is on track, with construction on the final section scheduled to begin this week as well.
Microtunnelling versus open-cut
For the reinforcement work on the existing pipe, the city employed a microtunnelling technique to minimize disruptions to roads and pathways.
Microtunnelling involves creating vertical concrete shafts which extend below the surface. A tunnel boring machine is then lowered into the shaft and clears a path to lay new pipe sections.
For the new pipe, however, the city is using an open-cut construction method, which involves excavating the area and digging trenches to install new sections of pipe.
While the city acknowledged this method can be more disruptive, it allows crews to complete the work faster, it said.
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The next phase of construction on the Bearspaw south feeder main replacement starts this month. Crews will be digging along 34th Avenue, and some nearby residents are worried about what will happen to their trees.
“Residents in the area should expect traffic impacts, detours, noise, dust, temporary parking restrictions and short-term access changes during construction,” according to the release.
Installation of the new pipe is scheduled to be complete by October. Both stages of the replacement project are expected to wrap up in December.