Calgary’s aging infrastructure will take billions of dollars to fix, report says

About $18 billion of Calgary’s infrastructure assets are in poor or very poor condition, and it will take billions of dollars to fix them, city councillors heard Wednesday. 

Of those assets, a city report says $1.7 billion worth are deemed critical, meaning their potential failure could lead to major disruptions and safety risks, including loss of life.

The report estimates a price tag of $7 billion to repair, replace or add backup capacity to these assets over the next decade.

Councillors previously heard 11 per cent of the city’s assets are in poor or very poor condition, including water mains, bridges, roads and transit. 

Replacing crumbling infrastructure has become an increasing — and increasingly costly — concern in cities across Canada in recent years.

Calgary’s aging infrastructure has come under heightened scrutiny in recent weeks after the second catastrophic break of the Bearspaw south feeder main. The rupture triggered a fresh round of water restrictions, and pushed Mayor Jeromy Farkas to promise an expedited replacement of the main within one year. 

Steve Wyton, manager for asset management planning with the city, presented the progress report to the infrastructure and planning committee Wednesday. An updated report will be brought before council on May 7, where the numbers may change, he said. 

“What you’re seeing is that our assets are coming to middle age, like myself, and actually are starting to have creaky bones and sore knees and a bad back,” said Wyton. 

The critical assets desperately in need of repair include the city's water main network, requiring an estimated $1.2 billion over 10 years.

The city's water treatment plants require work in the ballpark of $590 million over that same timespan. 

The report recommends $400 million over the next decade for wastewater river crossings, of which nine large crossings are of unknown condition.

It also says Calgary transit needs more than $2 billion over the next decade. Part of that money is to replace buses in its aging fleet that are breaking down at high rates.

Millions should be spent on fixing crumbling pavement throughout the city and on replacing some 10,000 streetlight poles, the report says. 

Four bridges need to be repaired or removed, including a pedestrian bridge across Macleod Trail at 63rd Avenue already scheduled to come down later this year, at a total cost of $115 million over five years.