Bearspaw Feeder Main: The Race Against Calgary's Crumbling Pipes
City unveils rapid construction plan for Stage B of emergency feeder main.
CALGARY, AB — The city's playing catch-up with a 25-year debt to its own water pipes, and the clock's ticking loud on 34 Avenue N.W.
Calgary dropped details this week on Stage B of the Bearspaw South Feeder Main replacement—a stretch running from 73 Street to 87 Street that'll get torn up and rebuilt using what officials are calling a "rapid construction approach." Translation: open-cut trenching, big crews, fast timelines. Work kicks off in May and wraps by October 2026.
Stage A's already underway. Crews mobilized January 23 to tunnel under the Bow River, 16 Avenue, Sarcee Trail, and the CPKC rail line—obstacles too big to dig around. That segment reaches from Shaganappi Pump Station to 73 Street N.W.
Why the Rush?
Two catastrophic breaks since June 2024 forced months of water restrictions and exposed what an independent panel called "systemic issues" in governance and asset management. The aging Bearspaw feeder main wasn't just old—it was failing in real time.
The parallel steel pipe now under construction will eventually take over service. The full line's expected online by December 2026, an accelerated timeline born from crisis.
The $6 Billion Problem
A report hit City Council desks today revealing the full scope: nearly $6 billion needed to fix Calgary's infrastructure currently rated in "poor condition." Over $1.5 billion of that goes to water mains and treatment plants alone.
Council already approved $473 million in capital investment for water distribution in November 2024. The city's seeking approval to borrow up to $1.04 billion over 25 years, repaid through utility fees and off-site levies. Rate increases are baked in: $105 million in 2025, $40 million in 2026.
Ward & Burke Microtunnelling and Graham Construction & Engineering hold the contract. The rapid open-cut method for Stage B means roadways reopen in sections as work finishes—no waiting until the entire stretch is done.
The math's simple: fix it now or pay more later. Calgary's betting on speed.
Comments ()