Bearspaw South Feeder Main replacement project on schedule, City of Calgary says

The City of Calgary has announced that the critical Bearspaw South Feeder Main replacement project is progressing on schedule, with completion anticipated by the end of 2026. This timeline represents a fast-tracked effort, as the city claims such a project would normally take four years.

The urgency for replacement was amplified following two major failures of the existing feeder main, including a significant break in December 2025. Mayor Jeromy Farkas had previously described the old pipe as "terminally ill," highlighting the necessity of the extensive replacement work.

The project's total budget is set at $439 million. This funding covers the reinforcement of the existing feeder main, which involves installing a new steel pipe parallel to the current concrete pipe. The work is being executed in stages. Stage A, involving microtunnelling under major roadways like 16 Avenue N.W., is currently 51 percent complete. Michael Thompson, the city's general manager of infrastructure services, explained the two-stage process: first, a concrete pipe is tunnelled, and then a steel pipe is pushed inside it.

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It’s a two-stage process. First we tunnel a concrete pipe. You can see examples of the concrete pipe behind me. Once that’s all installed, we (will) push a steel pipe inside that concrete pipe. We’ve broken that microtunnelling into five different segments. Two of those segments are already complete.

Stage B, which utilizes open-cut construction, also commenced last month on sections of 77 Street and 83 Street N.W. All affected roadways have reportedly been paved and reopened. The new steel pipe is expected to begin arriving in Calgary within a week. Construction of open trenches is planned along 34 Avenue Northwest to facilitate the installation of the initial sections of the new steel pipe. Darren Finney, manager of the Bearspaw Feeder Main project, described the extensive excavation required for this phase.

Despite the ongoing replacement efforts, the city acknowledges that the old pipe remains susceptible to further breaks until the new system is fully operational. The project's progress is being closely monitored as Calgary works to secure its essential water infrastructure.

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We are digging up the road right down 34 Avenue, so basically we’re going to be excavating approximately from the back of the sidewalk on the north side to the back the sidewalk of the south side.