144 Ave NW Calgary Extension
Bridging a critical NW Calgary gap, delivering safe multimodal access to growing communities
Client: City of Calgary
Location: Calgary, AB
Project Type: Transportation
About This Project
For Calgary’s expanding northwest, the 144 Avenue NW Extension fills a long-standing gap in the road network, serving a rapidly-growing quadrant of the city and becoming the first continuous east–west corridor north of Stoney Trail.
ISL was engaged by The City of Calgary as prime consultant for both the Functional Planning Study (2018–2020) and the subsequent detailed design and construction (2020–2024). This long-term involvement positioned ISL to integrate planning outcomes into design solutions, enabling the team to address major technical challenges early on. During the project, ISL navigated complex challenges, tackling steep topography, one of Calgary’s most significant creek realignments, and evolving community development pressures.
The project included over a kilometre of new arterial roadway, an innovative single-span bridge over West Nose Creek, and an expansion to the multi-use pathway network, significantly improving multi-modal connectivity in the area.
The project also brought together an extensive multi-disciplinary team, with specialist involvement from transportation engineering, structural engineering, hydrotechnical design, geotechnical analysis, landscape architecture, environmental management and community engagement — making this one of ISL’s largest and most integrated project deliveries to date.
The result is a thoughtfully engineered corridor with a single-span bridge, naturalized creek, and custom infrastructure — designed to serve communities now while also accommodating future expansion. The corridor was opened to the public in Fall 2024 and has received positive reception from local communities in the area. The project has been recognized by The City of Calgary as a model for integrating environmental stewardship, mobility and safety within a constrained natural environment.
In April 2026, the project received an Award of Excellence in the Transportation Infrastructure category at the Consulting Engineers of Alberta’s 29th Annual Showcase Awards Gala.
Key Features
- First continuous east–west road connection north of Stoney Trail in Calgary
- One of Calgary’s largest creek realignments, with naturalized channel, internal meander and fish habitat enhancements
- $3.6 million in value engineering savings
- Custom reed-inspired noise walls and natural rock retaining walls, giving the corridor a distinct visual identity
- Native and drought-tolerant riparian plantings along the restored creek corridor
- Multimodal pathways connecting communities to recreational areas, open space and future transit
- Three-phase community engagement process including culturally significant ceremony with First Nations representative
Awards
Award of Excellence – Transportation Infrastructure
Consulting Engineers of Alberta (CEA) Showcase Awards 2026