New Life for a Landmark: Reconstructing 17 Avenue S.W.

17 Avenue S.W. is known to Calgarians by many names. In Calgary’s infancy, when the Mission area was a French Catholic village called Rouleauville, it was rue Notre Dame. When Calgary adopted its practice of numbering streets in 1904, it became 17 Avenue S.W. When the Calgary Flames made their electrifying run for the Stanley Cup in 2004, it was dubbed the Red Mile.

For whatever you call it, there is no denying that 17 Avenue S.W. is a Calgary landmark.

A popular destination for Calgarians and tourists alike, the stretch of shops, restaurants, cafes and parks between Macleod Trail and 14 Street SW is the official retail and entertainment district of Calgary. Hundreds of thousands of people walk the length of the corridor every year, sipping coffee and popping in and out of shops. It’s also an important arterial roadway, moving 20,000 vehicles from east to west and back again every day.

Proposed improvements to the sidewalks east of 2 Street S.W. on 17 Avenue S include new and wider sidewalks, burying utility wires and improved lighting.

The stretch of pavement that makes up this well traveled road, between Macleod Trail and 14 Street S.W. is coming to the end of its life cycle. After 30 years, the road needs a full dirt-to-pavement reconstruction so it can continue to connect businesses and citizens for decades to come. The project will also include a number of road safety improvements, and sidewalk and streetscape improvements; such as, improved lighting and wider sidewalks all along the corridor, and new sidewalks east of 2 Street S.W. Construction is scheduled to begin in spring 2016 and wrap up in fall 2017.

The project team is hosting public events during the week of October 19 to give citizens an update on the project, including design, and next steps as we prepare for work to begin in spring 2016.

Daytime events
Location: ATB Financial, Community room (1110, 17 Avenue S.W.)
Date: Monday, October 19 through Friday, October 23
Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Evening events
Location: St Mary’s Church Hall (219, 18 Avenue S.W.)
Date: Tuesday, October 20
Hours: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Location: ATB Financial, Community room (1110, 17 Avenue S.W.)
Date: Wednesday, October 21
Hours: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

If you’re unable to attend these events but would like to see more information on the project, please visit calgary.ca/17avenue.