City exploring 'all options' for residents who may be affected by feeder main replacement

For some Calgarians living next to Edworthy Park, the Bearspaw south feeder main replacement project could potentially mean packing up and leaving home during construction.

Ward 7 Coun. Myke Atkinson, who serves the area where construction is taking place, told CBC’s The Homestretch he believes nearby residents will ultimately be forced to leave.

“That entire site — and there’s another site over by Shouldice — are turning into massive, massive construction sites,” he told host Chris dela Torre. “Access to those houses, and the business [Angel’s Cafe] is unfortunately a casualty in this.”

But on Tuesday, the city’s infrastructure services general manager Michael Thompson said those conversations are ongoing, and “all options remain on the table.”

“It is going to be a large construction site. It is going to be loud, it's going to be noisy, it's going to be dirty, there's going to be limited access into that area,” according to Thompson. 

"We are in the process of determining exactly what impacts will be. As soon as we know, we're out talking to residents and businesses."

In an emailed statement to CBC News, the city confirmed it is exploring options directly with one homeowner who might be affected by construction, including putting them up in a hotel.

The city owns two buildings near Edworthy park: one with a residential tenant and one with a commercial tenant. It said it’s working with those tenants directly to work out a plan.

“There will be impacts as we work to deliver this project safely on an accelerated schedule and with great quality, really to make sure Calgarians have clean, safe drinking water,” Thompson said.

Mayor Jeromy Farkas has previously said the city is accelerating the project to accomplish in one year what would typically take four years.

The city's construction of a replacement feeder main comes after two catastrophic breaks in less than two years. The city aims to build a parallel steel pipe to the Bearspaw which, over time, will take over service and bolster Calgary's water system.

The city anticipates the replacement pipe will be completed in December 2026.

To install the replacement pipe, crews will drill down at specific locations. From there, they'll use tunneling machines to make a pathway for the pipe in a technique called microtunneling.

The city says this approach means fewer disruptions between sites, but nearby communities will be affected.