Airport tunnel pondered by council as deadline looms

Council was in a special session late Friday discussing whether there was enough common ground between the city and the Calgary Airport Authority to get a contentious tunnel built.

After negotiations that have lasted for many months, Tuesday May 24was set as the deadline for a deal on the project.

But city manager Owen Tobert told council that some of the demands being made by the authority were extraordinary.

Negotiators for the airport say the city must commit to building two additional interchanges adjacent to the tunnel and buy additional land for the project.

Neither cost was factored in to the $295 million budget approved by council in February.

Airport officials also want the city to shoulder the liability associated with any construction delays that might affect the runway, Tobert said.

The airport is building a new 4,270-metre runway, which forced the closure of Barlow Trail between 48th Avenue and Airport Road N.E. last month.

A tunnel would compensate for the loss of that route to the airport, going underneath the new runway. It would link Airport Trail (96th Avenue N.E.) on the west side with 36th Street N.E. on the other side.

On Thursday Mayor Naheed Nenshi said council would be asked to consider three possible scenarios for proceeding with the project.

• Convince the province to help fund it something provincial officials have repeatedly rejected.
• Have the city pay for the whole project.
• Or,rough inthe tunnel nowandfinish it with themodifications demanded by the airport at a later date.