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4mo ago

Calgary Fast-Tracks Bearspaw Feeder Main Replacement With Sole-Source Deal as Construction Begins

The move responds to repeated breaks that left Glenmore with only weeks of backup supply.

Work on the first phase of the Bearspaw feeder main replacement was originally set to begin this spring, but City of Calgary officials they want the pipe complete by next winter.
The City of Calgary says work to twin the Bearspaw South Feeder Main with a new steel pipe will begin Friday and is expected to be completed in December.
Workers prepared 16th Avenue N.W. for paving at the South Bearspaw feeder main repair site in Calgary on January 10, 2026. Construction on a replacement for the line, which has ruptured twice in under a year could begin as early as this week.
The City of Calgary is accelerating a project to replace the Bearspaw South feeder main with an adjacent pipeline. The feeder main has ruptured twice in less than two years, each time plunging the city into periods of weeks-long water restrictions. City of Calgary image

Overview

  • City officials cancelled a competitive bid set to close January 29 and directly awarded the work to Ward & Burke Microtunnelling and Graham so crews could start immediately.
  • Crews are installing a parallel line using micro-tunnelling, first from the Shaganappi Pump Station to 73 Street NW, then from 73 Street NW to 89 Street NW, with a possible extension to the Bearspaw Water Treatment Plant.
  • Officials estimate the replacement at about $200 million, with the accelerated timeline likely to push costs higher.
  • Initial funding comes from a previously approved $1.1 billion water infrastructure budget, and administration plans to seek additional council funding for later phases and reinforcement work.
  • Mayor Jeromy Farkas is pressing for completion within a year, with officials warning the existing main could still fail and noting Glenmore ran at triple its normal winter output during recent repairs.