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 at banff.ca/stjulienroad

Excavation is moving up St. Julien Road as crews remove old water lines.

St. Julien Road Reconstruction - June 3 Update

In the past week, all insertion valves have been installed to completely isolate the old water main. Water main replacement is now underway, with the Wolf Street intersection area complete. A new hydrant at Wolf Street has been installed.

For the week ahead, the water main replacement moves up St. Julien Road. The width of the road way corridor narrows as the work moves uphill towards the large retaining walls. This narrowing will slow down the work, due to the impact on removing soil and adding fill in the reduced space.

Please completely avoid the construction area unless you are a resident of the roadway or visiting a resident.

Parks Canada has issued a trail advisory for the lower portion of the Tunnel Mountain Trail, between Tunnel Mountain Drive and the construction site. We are increasing signage and communications to visitor services to redirect hikers away from the construction zone and to the Ken Madsen Path to Banff Centre or via Buffalo Street and Surprise Corner.

Scheduled impact for June 3-12

Most homes on St. Julien Road will have intermittent closures of driveway access next week. These closures could range in duration between 15 minutes and a few hours. The yellow phases on the matrix schedule below for the week ahead will involve constant movement of heavy vehicles and machinery on St. Julien Road, between excavations and material storage. Residents are asked to be extremely cautious when exiting their properties or entering the site, and to make sure to communicate with workers and flaggers on the site.

This week ahead, the excavation moves from the intersection at the bottom of St. Julien Road towards Wolverine Street's intersection.

This week, the status of resident-only access points to St. Julien Road:

Open access, after today: Wolf/Grizzly/Moose St. entrance to St. Julien Rd.
Intermittently closed access: Wolverine Street entrance to St. Julien (then closed next Friday-Sunday)
Closed access Tuesday-Sunday: back alley/lane for Wolverine St.
Open: St. Julien Way access to St. Julien Rd.

These homes are scheduled for full-day closures next week preventing access from St. Julien Road (schedules can change depending on weather):

208, 210, 216, 218 St. Julien Rd. (Monday-Friday)
206 Grizzly Street (today-Wednesday)
200 St. Julien and 135 Wolverine (Wednesday-Sunday)
136 St. Julien (Thursday-Sunday)

St. Julien Road is closed to public access by vehicle, bicycle or by foot.

St. Julien Road will be closed until October.
Residents who live on St. Julien Road are allowed to use a temporary walkway to access their homes, when it is safe to do so.
4 parking zones for local residents only are established outside the construction zone (see map below)

View and download the UPDATED schedule matrix for impact on individual homes.

If you live on St. Julien and have questions, please contact us:

email stjulienroad@banff.ca
phone 403.762.1296

Schedule of Impact on Homes and Access - June 3-12

Click on schedule above to download PDF that is easier to read

Click on map to download a PDF that is easier to read

Excavation to expose old utility lines, store removed soil, and add new fill is meticulous work requiring constant communications and safety monitoring.

Tunnel Mountain Trailhead Access

Due to the construction on St. Julien Road, the best way for hikers to access the Tunnel Mountain Summit Trail is to bypass St. Julien Road and walk to the upper trailhead on Tunnel Mountain Drive. The lower trailhead parking lot is closed and parking at the upper trailhead is limited to a few cars. Walking from downtown is the best way to reach the trail.

Route options to the upper trailhead:

Walk on the Buffalo Street trail with views of the Bow River to Surprise Corner and on to Tunnel Mountain Drive, and the upper Tunnel Mountain Trailhead
Walk south on Otter Street to Wolverine Street and use the Ken Madsen Path behind the Old Cemetery up to Banff Centre, and then take St. Julien Way to Tunnel Mountain Drive (see maps below).

Hikers heading to the Tunnel Mountain Trail in the week of June 3-12 will be able to access the lower trailhead intermittently, but are required to detour south on Otter Street or Grizzly Street, and north on Wolverine Street, then cross the construction site of St. Julien Road when allowed by work crews. Hikers are encouraged to avoid the risk of not being permitted to cross St. Julien Road, by using the routes identified below.

The lower trailhead located on St. Julien Road will not be accessible for most periods of construction.

Hiking route 1 to Tunnel Summit - via Banff Centre

Click to download PDF

Hiking route 2 to Tunnel Summit - via Buffalo St. Trail

Map - route to summit via Buffalo Street

Click to download PDF

Banff Centre access

Pedestrian access to Banff Centre will be maintained on the Ken Madsen Path behind the cemetery, accessed from Wolverine Street or Buffalo Street. Vehicle access is limited to Buffalo Street and Tunnel Mountain Drive.

Photo: Pedestrian Detour sign at Ken Madsen Path

Detour for hikers at Wolverine St. to Ken Madsen Path

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