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

St. Julien Road Reconstruction - September 23 Update

Asphalt paving work is set to start on Monday, starting with a thin oil layer for priming/bonding agent, then paving. This will involve materials that could damage any private vehicles driving on the surface and can be hazardous to people and pets. The work creates dangerous conditions due to the extreme heat of material and the frequent truck movements delivering asphalt, laying the pavement and rollers packing the asphalt. The road closure is necessary for this phase.
 
The road will be completely closed and no private vehicles will be allowed in the construction zone Sept. 26 – Oct. 2. No one except residents of the street are allowed to walk into the site.
 
Parking for St. Julien Residents
The temporary locals-only parking areas are specifically for residents of the roadway who cannot access their private driveways to park on their own properties. If you do not live on the street, please respect your fellow Banffites and don’t park there!
 
The Town’s municipal enforcement team will increase patrols to monitor the four parking zones dedicated to St. Julien Residents. The no parking zones on Wolverine Street will be enforced.
 
Weekend Construction
The Town has approved extended work hours for the construction crews to complete critical work before snow falls and temperatures drop. Crews will be working this Saturday (Sept. 24) and next Saturday (Oct. 1) starting at 7:30 a.m. and continuing to evening.  If required, the crews will work Sunday, Oct. 2, starting at 9 a.m. 

Forits is tentatively scheduled to put up streetlights the first weeks of October. 

Notice from the Construction Contractor:

Bremner Engineering and Construction is asking all residents to adhere to the road closure to avoid the hazard and to ensure the work is not disrupted:
 
Please have patience with this process as the complete road closures is imperative. Residents of St. Julien must park offsite during these times, if they anticipate needing a vehicle Sept. 26 – Oct. 2. Please note these dates are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances, such as:

• Weather
• People/vehicles disregarding the road closure and signage
• Material supply disruption

• Do not drive or walk on fresh bonding agent or new asphalt.
• Avoid the area of construction as much as possible.
• Remove your property from near the road.
• Please keep children and animals away from the road.

• Poured concrete for curbs and gutters, the pads for the garbage/recycling enclosures, the cross-walk median at the trailhead, and the section of concrete sidewalk on Wolf Street
• Built and backfilled rock retaining walls
• Finalized roadway gravel structure ready for asphalt

If you have questions, please contact us:

• email stjulienroad@banff.ca 
• phone 403.762.1296  

Click to download an easy-to-read PDF map of the parking zones dedicated to St. Julien property owners:

Dangerous construction site

St. Julien Road is closed to public access by vehicle, bicycle or by foot. St. Julien Road will be closed until October. Only residents who live on St. Julien are permitted to enter the street, and only when safe to do so, in coordination with work crews.

Many residents and visitor continue to ignore the signage and have proceeded into the active construction site. This puts them in danger of serious injury or death.

This week with the hot mix asphalt work, its essential that people stay away from the construction site, for their safety and to avoid disrupting the construction schedule. Please help visitors follow the signed detours.

Follow detours to Tunnel Mountain Trail

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

Tourism operators and visitor service agents should remind visitors to ignore Google Maps and follow the detours and use the detour maps (below).

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)

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. 

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

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

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