This newsletter is for people who live in the St. Julien Road construction zone and anyone who has 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

Photo: Sewer and Water connection to a home

Crews connect the sewer service (larger white pipe) and the water line (smaller blue tube) from the mains to the private property.

St. Julien Road Reconstruction - July 29 Update

This past week was productive for the reconstruction crews. The new upper water main line that runs down from St. Julien Way to supply homes on Wolverine Street was completed, disinfected and approved for use.

The majority of work last week involved excavating, locating and establishing service connections from private property to the water and sewer mains. Several homes were removed from the temporary water supply.

The other main project was starting to excavate and construct catch basins for the storm water collection, and the outlet installation for drainage off the road. This is essential to avoid water pooling and ice forming on the road surface.

The week ahead
Next week will see the completion of all remaining service connections to homes, allowing all properties to be removed from the temporary overland water supply and sanitary sewage lines the following week.

The storm water drainage system will be completed next week.

Crews will also start constructing the stone retaining walls on the downhill side of St. Julien Road that will retain the new pedestrian trail. Construction will also start on road coring to prepare the road base, followed by new gravel fill and compaction.

Vibrations for road base compaction will be very disruptive to residents starting next week. Residents are encouraged to move fragile items of value that are hanging on walls or could fall from shelves into safe storage for the period of road base construction. Starting at Wolf Street, the road base work will commence next week and continue into September.

Dangerous construction site

Only residents who live on St. Julien Street are permitted to enter the street, and only when safe to do so, in coordination with work crews.

Members of the public are still putting themselves in danger by attempting to access St. Julien Road – please stay outside the construction area for your own safety, and please help direct visitors to safe detours on Tunnel Mountain.

The lower trail head remains inaccessible. Follow the detours via the Ken Madsen Path around to the upper trail head for hiking Tunnel Mountain.

Photo: catch basins for storm water drainage

Catch basins for storm water drainage are being installed at the road surface. Curbs and the road surface will be built up to the drainage collectors.

Downhill from the storm water catch basins, drainage outlets have been installed with safety gates and rocks that maintain flow without creating erosion.

Scheduled impact on residents for July 29 - Aug. 7

About 10 homes on St. Julien Road will have full closures of driveway access for periods of the week ahead. The red phases in the matrix schedule below indicate full-day closures. The yellow phases indicate intermittent closures that involve movement of heavy vehicles and machinery. The blended red/yellow phase designation means homes will have full closures for most of the day.

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.

The resident-only parking zones outside the construction area will remain open all week, except intermittent closures Wednesday-Sunday in Zone 1 and 2 at Grizzly Street (see map below for location).

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

Wolverine St. back alley: intermittently open all week
Wolf Street and Grizzly entrance to St. Julien: closed Wednesday-Friday
St. Julien Way (top of road) access to St. Julien Rd: closed Tuesday-Wednesday
Wolverine Street entrance to St. Julien: closed Tuesday, Aug. 2

Please take note of the new access point closures this week!

The homes below will not have driveway access for full days on these dates (schedules can change depending on weather and the complexity of tie-in work):

100, 132, 136 and 200 St. Julien Rd. (no driveway access Aug. 2 & 3)
216 and 218 St. Julien (no driveway access Aug. 3-6)
220 St. Julien (no driveway access Aug. 4 & 5)
222 and 226 St. Julien (no driveway access Aug. 3-5)
341 Grizzly Street and 609 Wolf Street (no driveway access Aug. 3 & 4)

St. Julien Road is closed to public access by vehicle, bicycle or by foot. St. Julien Road will be closed until October.

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

Schedule of Impact on Homes and Access - July 29-Aug 7

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

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

email stjulienroad@banff.ca
phone 403.762.1296

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

Photo: connecting water and sewer to homes on St. Julien Rd.

Avoid dangerous route to Tunnel Mountain Trail

The lower trailhead to the Tunnel Mountain Trail will remain closed for the next few weeks.

Access to the trail is now only possible via the upper trailhead on Tunnel Mountain Drive.

Hikers must not attempt to access the lower trailhead through St. Julien Road. This is a dangerous and often impassable construction site. Use maps to detour safely.

Signage is in place to direct hikers to detour to Wolverine Street and up the Ken Madsen Path, through the Banff Centre, and up St. Julien Way to Tunnel Mountain Drive and the upper trailhead. Large signs are placed at intersections, and "bread-crumb" lawn signs help hikers navigate the full route to Tunnel Mountain Drive. (See map below)

People must not try to use St. Julien Road to attempt to access the lower trailhead of the Tunnel Mountain Trail. The excavations and heavy equipment make it unsafe and often impassable. The construction site is too dangerous for pedestrians or hikers.

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 (see map 1 below).

Two detour options to Tunnel Mountain Trail

Hikers heading to the Tunnel Mountain Trail are now detoured away from St. Julien Road. The lower trailhead on St. Julien is completely inaccessible until mid-August.

Hikers are required to detour to the Ken Madsen Path and around the Banff Centre campus as the only route to the upper trailhead on Tunnel Mountain Drive. The parking lot on St. Julien is closed and there is limited parking at the Upper Trailhead. The best way to access the Tunnel Mountain Trail is by walking from downtown Banff.

Hiking to Tunnel Mountain Summit
- Faster Route via Banff Centre

Click to download PDF

Hiking to Tunnel Mountain Summit
- Scenic Route via Bow River & Surprise Corner

Map - route to summit via Buffalo Street