St. Julien Road Reconstruction

The Town of Banff is reconstructing and enhancing St. Julien Road between Wolf Street and the Banff Centre in 2022. Construction will continue until October.

A dedicated sidewalk/trail is being created for the length of the road, all underground water and sewer lines are being replaced, private properties will have new utility connections, new street light poles are being installed, and storm drainage systems are being added.

Wolverine Street and Grizzly Street will be converted to one-way streets, exiting St. Julien Road.

This renewal will create a safer road for hikers, cyclists and drivers.

Contractor: Bremner Engineering and Construction Ltd (BECL), based in the Bow Valley, was selected as prime construction contractor in a national open tender in early 2022.

Project Manager: Stephen Allan, PMP, Engineering Coordinator, Town of Banff
P 403.762.1296 stjulienroad@banff.ca

Disruption during 2022 construction

During the reconstruction, work created significant disruptions to the people who live on the street, people who use the street to access Banff Centre, and hikers going to the Tunnel Mountain Trail. Information below is updated weekly with specific disruption impact and detour information.

Tunnel Mountain Lower Trailhead access reopened

The lower trailhead on St. Julien Road has reopened and is accessible from the sidewalk/trail that is completely open from Wolf Street to the top of the hill at St. Julien Way.

The trail access at Caribou Street remains closed while a new trail and wooden stairs are being built. Trail access at Caribou Street and Grizzly Street will reopen by mid-November.

The lower trailhead parking lot remains closed until mid-November, but will reopen for winter.

The lower trailhead parking lot is closed until November, as it is used for material and equipment storage. Currently, landscaping materials are being stored before planting.

St. Julien Road reopens to vehicle traffic

St. Julien Road reopened on October 28, after almost 30 weeks of construction activity required the route to be closed to the public.

The speed limit is reduced to 30 km/h, because this is now the speed limit town-wide. Grizzly street remains one-way exiting St. Julien Road at Caribou Street.

Wolverine Street is now one-way exiting St. Julien Road, travelling downhill towards the cemetery.

With the reconstruction work nearing completion for 2022, crews have replaced or built:

660 metres of water mains
430 metres of sewer mains
17 individual resident service connections for water and sewer
560 metres of roadway, including 1,055 metres of new curb and gutters
380 linear metres of stone retaining wall
A 2-metre-wide asphalt pathway the full length of St. Julien Road

Work will resume in the spring of 2023 with final site cleanup and planting and landscaping of flora best planted in spring, and final site furnishings.

Weekly construction updates

Subscribers received notifications about construction updates and planned impacts, and upcoming opportunities each week of the project.

2022 updates:

Project Overview

The development will follow the concept design approved by Banff Town Council in 2021 following comprehensive public engagement with local Banff residents. The reconstruction project will:

replace and realign the aging water and sanitary sewer pipes under the road
replace all utility connections to properties along the road
create a separated trail the full length of the road from Wolf St. to the Banff Centre intersection - the trail will be shared by pedestrians, hikers and cyclists heading uphill
improve the storm drainage for the road
resurface the length of the street
enhance safety at St. Julien's connections to Wolverine Street and Grizzly Street
convert Wolverine Street into a one-way street off St. Julien
add stairs and better alignment for a straight pedestrian trail connecting Caribou Street and the St. Julien Trail
add more street lighting
regrade the access to St. Julien at the bottom of the hill at Wolf Street
improve the entrance intersection at Banff Centre

Download overview of project work (PDF)

The work will create a safer street for residents and visitors, and a longer lifecycle of the entire infrastructure below and above ground. It will become a more enjoyable route to the Tunnel Mountain trailhead and the street will drain better and snow clearing will be improved.

The reconstruction of the road and sidewalk is based on the Banff Streetscape Design Guidelines for this type of road, factoring the width constraints and slope challenges of a road on the side of a mountain.

Project Timeline

February-April 2021: public engagement to Finalize Design - Complete
May 10, 2021: Council approves design based on public input - Complete
May-September 2021: detailed design and engineering planning - Complete
November 2021 - January 2022: Council approves capital project in budget debate - Complete
February-March 2022: tender construction project - Complete

2022 Construction Milestones

March: tree removal to allow trail widening and road construction works to proceed - Complete
April/May: road surface removal - Complete
May: temporary water and sewer system for properties on St. Julien - Complete
May-July: water system replacement, main lines installed – Complete
June-Aug: sanitary sewer system replacement, main lines installed – Complete
July-Aug.: Private homes connected to new water and sewer mains - Complete
August: storm sewer and drainage system replacement – Complete
August: road coring and gravel base reconstruction - Complete
August-October: road surface and trail work, curb and gutter concrete - Complete
September-October: Road and trail paving - Complete
September-October: Street light replacement - Complete
October: reopen road to public traffic - Complete
October/November: start landscaping and street furnishings – Underway - will finish in spring 2023

Info Session and Q&A

The Town hosted an online information and Q&A session on April 7, 2022, for residents and interested members of the public. The session provided an overview of the project, what residents who live on the street can expect, the planned schedule, and answers to any questions to the project manager. The information session was delivered over Zoom using a "webinar" function, allowing the session to be recorded.

Thursday, April 7, 3:30-4:30 p.m.
Click to watch Zoom online meeting
Presentation (PDF)

More information, such as maps, detour routes, and construction schedules affecting each property will be added to this project page as they are finalized.

Public Input

The Town gathered input on the design options in 2021. (Completed public input: banffviewpoints.ca/stjulien.) Engagement through walking tours, online forum and surveys and submitted discussion guides provided direction on a number of options for the road design that were presented to Banff Town Council in May 2021. Council approved the final design concept, then set the budget in January 2022.