Drivers in Calgary will find a much easier time getting around the city as planners will be opening an extra lane in both directions on Highway 22X over Macleod Trail S.E.

Transportation Minister Ric McIver, the MLA for Calgary-Hays, says the government planned these lanes in order to reduce the bottleneck on traffic that is expected to come along with the Southeast Stoney Trail opening in the fall.

The $4M project could begin on August 12 and, weather permitting, could be completed along with the Stoney Trail extension.

For the project, workers will be removing the centre median separating both directions and traffic will be limited to the outer edges of the bridge with lanes being re-marked.

After that is removed and the road repaved, motorists will be able to use two new full lanes over the bridge.

There will be no shoulder on this section and new traffic lights will be set up on the east side of the bridge to ensure safer left turns. Lights are already in place on the west side of the bridge.

“This is not the end of our work here but until we move forward with the full interchange upgrade here in the future, adding the extra lanes when we can just makes sense,” said McIver.

The project is part of the government’s $1.4B investment this year for Alberta’s highway network.