Drivers in Midnapore have now watched the Macleod Trail project run through more than a year of construction seasons. Over the next few weeks it gets closer to home. Bridge crews move from the southbound side of the Bannister Road Bridge to the northbound side, and they stay there through November. The repaving that runs past Midnapore, from just south of the bridge down to Fish Creek, is now scheduled last. It waits until spring 2027.
That order wasn't the original plan. The schedule changed once construction showed the structures needed more repair than expected. Here is what the City has posted, as of its update dated September 25, 2026.
The plan in May 2025 versus the plan now
The City first described this as three related jobs. Crews would install new median barriers from Shawnessy Boulevard S.W. to 99 Avenue S.E., repave Macleod from Shawnessy Boulevard to Fish Creek, and repair the Bannister Road Bridge. The current page lists those same three pieces and also names resurfacing on Shawnessy Drive and part of Shawnessy Boulevard, plus protective barriers around bridge piers.
Here is the tentative timeline from the May 2025 project page, next to what the current City project page shows today.
| Milestone | May 2025 tentative plan | Current City page |
|---|---|---|
| Construction start | June 2025 | August 2025 |
| Cable barriers and road paving | October 2025 | Barriers between Lake Fraser and Willow Park in fall 2026; Willow Park to 99 Avenue in spring 2027 |
| Bannister Bridge | 65% of paving by December 2025, work fully complete June 2026 | Bridge repairs in fall 2026 |
| Resurfacing south of the bridge to Fish Creek | Part of the October 2025 paving | Spring 2027 |
| Project complete | June 2026 for the bridge | June 2027 |
The two finish dates in that table don't measure quite the same thing. June 2026 was the date the bridge work alone would be done. June 2027 is the date for the whole project. Either way, the bridge is still being worked on in late 2026, months after it was originally meant to be finished. The May 2025 page carried its own caveat that dates could change because of weather, material delays or site conditions.
Why the bridge took longer
The City gives one reason in plain language. During construction, "crews found some structures were in worse condition than early assessments showed," and additional repairs are needed to finish the work safely and properly.
The City's posted schedule now puts the bridge repairs in fall 2026 and the paving from south of the bridge to Fish Creek in spring 2027. The bridge repairs are the smallest of the three budget lines. Of the $22.1 million total, $4 million is for the Bannister Road Bridge, $6.4 million for resurfacing, and $11.7 million for median barriers and bridge pier protection. The City says it combined the three projects to avoid repeat construction on the same corridor.
The City's reason for the project is safety. It describes Macleod Trail between Heritage Drive and Highway 22X as having one of Calgary's highest rates of median-related collisions. The new barriers are meant to stop vehicles from crossing into oncoming traffic.
The bridge phases between now and late November
The bridge work runs in numbered phases, and each one moves the work zone to a different set of lanes. Two phases are already done. Phase 2 ran from Sept. 13 to Oct. 4 on the two outer southbound lanes and the Bannister Road exit lane. Here is what the City lists from this week on:
- Phase 3, early October to Oct. 18. Crews work on the two inner southbound lanes. Traffic uses the outer two southbound lanes and the inner northbound lane.
- Phase 4, mid-October to early November. Work moves to the two inner northbound lanes over the bridge. Traffic is redirected to the three outer northbound lanes and the inner southbound lane.
- Phase 5, early November to late November. Work moves to the three outer northbound lanes. Traffic uses the two left northbound lanes and the inner southbound lane.
With today's date of October 12, Phase 3 has less than a week left. Phase 4 could start any day. For the rest of the fall, the work sits on the northbound side, the direction you head when you drive from Midnapore toward Canyon Meadows, Anderson Road and the city beyond. The City's page has a map for each phase, and they are the quickest way to see which lanes are open on any given week.
All these dates are estimates. The City says on the schedule that it "may change due to weather or other factors." Late November in Calgary is exactly when weather starts making those decisions.
What is already finished north of the bridge
Most of the corridor north of the bridge is done, which is part of why the remaining work feels concentrated near Midnapore. The City lists these items as complete:
- Cable and concrete median barriers between Shawnessy Boulevard and Lake Fraser Drive
- New curbs along the corridor to hold the barriers
- Protective barriers around the bridge piers at the Shawnessy Boulevard and Canyon Meadows Drive overpasses and at the Canyon Meadows pedestrian bridge
- The first phase of Bannister Road Bridge repairs
- Resurfacing on Shawnessy Drive S.W.
- Repaving Macleod Trail between Shawnessy Boulevard and the Bannister Road Bridge
Beyond the bridge, three jobs remain this fall. Crews will finish the median barriers between Lake Fraser and Willow Park, install pier protection at the Anderson Road overpass, and landscape the median by removing weeds, placing topsoil and seeding.
Spring 2027 is the Midnapore stretch
When the current bridge phases end, two jobs will be left. One is resurfacing Macleod Trail from south of the Bannister Road Bridge to Fish Creek. The other is installing median barriers between Willow Park and 99 Avenue. The City lists both for spring 2027, and full completion for June 2027.
The barrier work sits up north near Willow Park and 99 Avenue, while the resurfacing covers the stretch along Midnapore's side of Macleod, between the bridge and the park. Midnapore is one of the communities the City names as affected, along with Canyon Meadows, Shawnessy and Sundance.
So the community that sits right next to the bridge gets work on both sides of winter. Bridge phases continue through November. Then, after the winter break, paving crews come back to the road segment closest to home.
How the work runs day to day
The City has set rules for how the work affects traffic and nearby homes, and they are worth knowing before the overnight trucks show up in spring.
Lanes. At least two lanes stay open in each direction on Macleod Trail, with temporary lane shifts around the work zones. That is more than the May 2025 page promised, which said "1–2 lanes will stay open." At the Bannister Road Bridge, the City describes the lane shifts as long-term.
Hours. Paving happens from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. to keep it out of daytime traffic. General construction can run from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday to Sunday. Weekends are not off-limits.
Noise. The City says residents nearby may hear or feel the construction, and that crews will reduce noise and vibration where they can. Overnight paving on the Midnapore stretch next spring is where that will matter most.
Checking conditions. The City points drivers to calgary.ca/trafficinfo for real-time disruptions, the Roadway Activities Map, Calgary Transit for transit information, and 107.9 FM for traffic radio.
The City's current schedule doesn't list any closures for the Bannister Road on-ramps or transit detours tied to the bridge phases. If that changes, those tools are where it will show up first.
Inside the community this month
Away from Macleod, the lake is winding down its season. In an October 6 update, Midnapore Lake said the slide and diving dock have come out. Southgate and its washrooms are closed for the season, and kayaks and paddleboards are done. Rowboats, paddleboats, shore fishing, pickleball, tennis, basketball, ping-pong and disc golf are all still open. The residents association's Pumpkin Hunt runs October 24 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and registration is listed as sold out.
Phase 4 on the bridge is scheduled to run through that same weekend, with work on the two inner northbound lanes and northbound traffic moved to the three outer lanes.
If you're thinking about a spring 2027 sale in Midnapore, overnight paving along Macleod is one more thing to plan showings and photo days around. Donna Delaney & Co can walk you through how we'd schedule a listing around the City's posted timeline. Schedule a call, and we'll go over the dates with you.
