Five weeks after the southeast ring road was supposed to be open, contractors are still doing paving work they were contractually obligated to finish by Oct. 1.

Well into November now, the actual opening date remains as unclear as it had been throughout October, with vague suggestions that it’s “close” to being ready for thousands of commuters and transport truckers.

The construction firm CEO for the $769-million project now hopes everything from weather, subcontractors and safety auditors can all align like stars, so that drivers can finally speed along southeast Stoney Trail by next week’s end.

“Definitely shooting for the 15th is in our itinerary, but then we need one thing out of that sequence and we’re going to be delayed for a few more days,” said Dale Woodroffe, CEO of Chinook Roads Partnership.

Blustery winter weather may halt the paving, street light installation or the curing of concrete barriers still to be erected at the Deerfoot Trail interchange, he said. Once everything is complete, the final safety audit must be done — and promptly, for a Nov. 15 opening to actually happen.

“If weather permits, we’ll get a lot of it done in the next week-and-a-half, but the weather doesn’t look like it’s going to cooperate here fully,” Woodroffe said.

Calgarians can look at this two ways, Alberta Transportation Minister Ric McIver said. The company should have been able to accommodate weather delays within a construction period stretching over more than three years, or it’s a massive project that’s only about 35 days behind schedule.

“But if you’re stuck in traffic for 35 days, that’s not a satisfying answer,” McIver said in an interview.

“It’s truly not a satisfying answer for me either, because I just want it finished.”

All his ministry can do for now is keep looking over the shoulders of the firm in its public-private partnership, and keep tallying the daily $70,000 overdue penalty in the contract. The total will eclipse $3 million next week, but Woodroffe said his company cannot rush and risk compromising safety to keep the province’s charge low.

Contractors and subcontractors are paving lanes on three bridges over Highway 22X, and then will paint traffic lines. This was all work that should have been done before Oct. 1, according to Alberta Transportation’s contract with Chinook Roads.

Woodroffe blames delays mainly on heavy rain and snow over the 3 1/2-year construction period. While the June flood didn’t directly affect the project — which does cross over the Bow River — it did keep some subcontractors off the job briefly, as well as Enmax crews for weeks.

It’s “highly unlikely,” that the freeway won’t open before winter ends the 2013 construction season, Woodroffe added. The list of deficiencies highlighted for him Wednesday in the latest partial safety audit point to minor, easily remedied issues like signage and barriers, he said.

Woodroffe said the province expects a completed ring road with 100 km/h speeds, up from the current 50 maximum allowed on Highway 22X during construction. The company had previously asked if Alberta Transportation would open just the completed east leg of Stoney Trail from 17th Avenue S.E. down to 22X, but the ministry said it wants the full project to open at once, Woodroffe has said.