prior to the construction of the apartments behind the old CPR station, it could have been possible to do a simpler cut and cover tunnel, which would have been much cheaper than any alternative now..
it might actually be cheaper to just buy out the whole two block long monstrosity and take it out of the equation, replace it with something better fitting for the post-railyard future of the area
ideally I'd like to see the city start expropriating all lands between gateway and the rail tracks, from 23 av up to whyte.
along with completely grade separating the freight ROW, include space for a future HSR corridor, and a 6 lane freeway.
get the HSR and freeway underground south of 76 av to maximize redevelopment potential.
twin up the rossdale bridge and we've got proper access to the doorstep of the core
Other advantages:
- remove upwards of 100k daily vehicle trips from strathcona neighborhoods by siphoning traffic from 99st, 109 st and gateway/cal trail
(why were the community leagues against this??
![Cuckoo](images/smilies/koko.gif)
)
- time savings for daily commuters
- vastly improved first impression of the city for new visitors from the airport
- free-flow route reduces vehicle emissions, wear and tear vs stop / start traffic
- opens potential to turn Calgary trail into a 2-way traffic high street, with plenty of redevelopment potential from leftover expropriated freeway lands
I think it would be an enormous win for the city on so many levels, and that's why I see it having a 0% chance of happening..