Town of Banff to replace aging watermains and sewers in 2025-26

The Town of Banff has opened the tendering for reconstruction of Caribou Street, between Lynx Street and Banff Avenue, proposed to start in the fall of 2025.

This work will replace the water and sewer pipes, some of which are 100 years old, to avoid a major break in these main supply lines. The watermain has had cracks repaired twice over the past few years.

On the east portion, the project will upgrade surface infrastructure to enhance customer access to businesses and improve the pedestrian experience on this important restaurant and retail street. Caribou Street from Bear Street to Banff Avenue will be rebuilt as one surface without curbs, extending Bear Street’s pedestrian-friendly plaza design.

On the west end, the project will improve safety for pedestrians by realigning the Caribou Street intersection at Lynx Street. Crosswalks will be shorter distances and pedestrians will be more visible. The construction on this phase of the project will require periodic detours for the traffic travelling between Norquay Road and Buffalo Street, around the Caribou intersection.

“The replacement of 100-year-old water and sewer pipes under Caribou Street is an important part of our preventative maintenance to ensure these essential services for Banffites are uninterrupted,” said Banff Mayor Corrie DiManno.

“The construction will close the street to vehicles and require pedestrian detours to access the great businesses on the street, but we are striving to schedule construction in phases to have the least disruption, by avoiding major activity in peak summer season. At the end of the project, we will see an extension of the highly successful redevelopment of Bear Street into a pedestrian-focused hub for Banff.”

The utilities work is essential, but the Town recognizes that the excavation of the entire street to replace the water and sanitary sewer lines and connections to buildings will be very disruptive to businesses. The later phases to replace the roadbed, drainage system, planters and block paver surface will also be very disruptive to public access to the businesses on the street.

The design removes some parking on the street and adds landscaping planters and natural public seating. When compared to Bear Street, the design is similar but simplified for rock placement, and without underground soil cells or a trench drain, which will accelerate excavation and construction time.

The projects is budgeted to cost about $3.8 million in 2025 and $3 million in 2026.

The project is currently in the early stage of the tendering process, with a goal to secure a contract with a construction firm by February 2025. The Request for Proposals (RFP) document identifies that scoring includes project phasing and a construction schedule that avoids July and August construction for the section from Banff Avenue to Bear Street. The RFP and appendix drawings are available at https://banff.ca/bids until December 27.

Public Engagement

Through 2024, a consultation process engaged businesses and property owners on Caribou Street. Construction timelines, public spaces and disruption mitigation are some of the ongoing topics discussed. Elements of the project have been modified as a result of the feedback provided.

The Town will host an information session with Caribou Street businesses and property owners in February after the close of the tendering process, to discuss a finalized construction schedule based on the selected bid. The meeting will also review options for marketing businesses during the construction period.

Banff residents will be invited to a community open house in March 2025 to learn more about the project.

 

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