St. Julien Road Reconstruction - April 29 Update

This newsletter is for people who live in the St. Julien Road construction zone and others in Banff who have registered to learn about the project and its impact on drivers, hikers, commuters and visitors.

If you know someone who may be interested in this project, please encourage them to sign up for updates on the project web page at banff.ca/stjulienroad

Home access requested for water/sewer connections

The construction contractor is preparing to provide temporary water servicing for homes on St. Julien Road, while excavation and replacement of underground servicing occurs.

In the coming days, representatives for Bremner Engineering and Construction Ltd (BECL) or the Town of Banff will be contacting all homes to arrange a time when the contractor can enter the property and view hook up locations inside the home. The interior inspection will be very brief. Please accommodate access to help maintain the project schedule.

Schedule update for May 2 - 8

• St. Julien Road is closed to public access by vehicle, bicycle or by foot. 
  • St. Julien Road will be closed for the full summer.
  • Access to the Tunnel Mountain Trailhead is detoured south on Otter Street (see more information below map).
  • Only residents who live on St. Julien Road are allowed to use the temporary walkway to access their homes.
  • Residents who live on St. Julien Road will have periodic vehicle access, as identified in the matrix schedule below.
  • 4 parking zones for local residents only are established outside the construction zone (see map below)
• All homes on St. Julien Road will have intermittent closures of driveway access. These homes will also have full closures of 1, 2 or 3 days, preventing access to driveways:
  • 132, 136, 200, 208, 210, 216, 218, 220 St. Julien Road
  • 100 St. Julien Road (Banff Centre properties)
  • 135 Wolverine Street 
• The asphalt surface is being removed and the concrete sidewalk in the lower portion of St. Julien is being removed.  
  • Access streets for St. Julien residents will be closed based on the schedule below.
  • Closures will affect some homes on Grizzly, Wolverine and Wolf Streets this week.

View and download the schedule matrix and map below for the impact on your home. If you live on St. Julien and have questions, please contact us:

• email stjulienroad@banff.ca 
• phone 403.762.1296  

Schedules may change, patience and communications requested

The schedule identifies intermittent access closures in yellow, indicating that residents on St. Julien Road may not be able to immediately leave or enter driveways. Depending on when access is required, it might take a few extra minutes while the workers ensure its safe and equipment is clear.
 
Upcoming work involves connections between main utility lines and service to private properties. As the excavation uncovers private property lines and connections, more or less time may be required for connections. This has an impact on the planned schedule. Any archeological discoveries requires full stop and inspection from archeological experts from Parks Canada. Other discoveries underground can also affect construction schedules.
 
Although the construction delays can be frustrating, the crews ask for residents' patience when moving in/out of the construction area. Make sure to make eye contact with a flagger or worker to ensure safety, and indicate the property you are going to, or when leaving, walk to the end of the driveway to communicate with work crews, who will accommodate safe passage as best and as quickly as possible.  

Unfortunately, when driveway access is marked in red to indicate full closure, vehicle exit or entrance is not possible for up to 24 hours for that day. 

Tunnel Mountain Trailhead Access 

• Pedestrian detours are in place for Tunnel Mountain Trail hikers. Follow detour signs south on Otter Street, and north on Wolverine Street.
• The road and parking lot at the lower Tunnel Mountain Trailhead is closed. Although this is Banff Centre property, the institution has provided the parking lot for the construction laydown area through 2022. The lot is closed to allow storage of equipment, materials, and work crew resources.

Access to the trailhead will be maintained as long as it is safe to do so, using detours. The pedestrian access route is detoured south on Otter Street to Wolverine Street and a brief stretch on St. Julien before crossing over to the lower trailhead. 

For some periods of construction this summer, access to the trail will be closed at the lower trailhead on St. Julien Road. When the lower trailhead and lower section of the trail is closed, hikers will be detoured on Wolverine Street to the Ken Madsen Trail, up to the Banff Centre. Hikers can cross the Banff Centre campus to Tunnel Mountain Drive and access the upper trailhead. Download visitor poster with two hiker routes to Tunnel Mountain Trail (PDF).

Banff Centre access by vehicle is only available via Buffalo Street and Tunnel Mountain Drive.

Signs are in place for pedestrian detours.  

Project Overview

• replace and realign the aging water and sanitary sewer pipes under the road
• replace all utility connections to properties along the road
• create a separated trail the full length of the road from Wolf St. to the Banff Centre intersection - the trail will be shared by pedestrians, hikers and cyclists heading uphill 
•  improve the storm drainage for the road
• resurface the length of the street
• enhance safety at St. Julien's connections to Wolverine Street and Grizzly Street
• convert Wolverine Street into a one-way street off St. Julien
• add stairs and better alignment for a straight pedestrian trail connecting Caribou Street and the St. Julien Trail
• add more street lighting
• regrade the access to St. Julien at the bottom of the hill at Wolf Street
• improve the entrance intersection at Banff Centre
• The work will create a safer street for residents and visitors, and a longer lifecycle of the entire infrastructure below and above ground. It will become a more enjoyable route to the Tunnel Mountain trailhead and the street will drain better and snow clearing will be improved.

Contractor: Bremner Engineering and Construction Ltd (BECL), based in the Bow Valley, was selected as prime construction contractor in a national open tender.
 
Project Manager: Stephen Allan, PMP, Engineering Coordinator, Town of Banff

For more information:  

• email stjulienroad@banff.ca 
• phone 403.762.1296  
• web banff.ca/stjulienroad