Bow tower construction could snarl traffic

Drivers in downtown Calgary could face major traffic delays during construction of the $1 billion EnCana building.

The city is looking at shutting down a major west route through downtown Sixth Avenue between Centre Street and First Street SE for utility upgrades and the construction of an underground parking lot for the Bow office tower.

An estimated 22,000 drivers use that stretch every day.

City council unanimously passed the proposal through three readings Monday. But before making a final vote, aldermen are waiting for a report that will come back to council in June on the different options for traffic, including rerouting transit onto Fifth Avenue.

Alderman Ric McIver said closing all four lanes of traffic at the same time is not an option for him.

"Our job is not to make a construction job less expensive, our job is to make our citizens happier, so I think we need to keep Sixth Avenue open."

Mayor Dave Bronconnier said the closure would take a year if all four lanes were closed at once, but could last up to two-and-a-half years if only a portion is shut at a time.

"Calgarians have told me time and time again, 'If we're going to get on with it, get it done in the shortest time frame available and make sure that I still have a reasonable commute to work.' "

The underground parking lot will link two portions of what will be the tallest office tower in Western Canada.

The 59-storey Bow whose name is drawn from the nearby Bow River and from the tower's curving shape will span both the north and south sides of Sixth Avenue, and have an area of 1.7 million square feet.