Calgary event centre architects receive Minister’s Award for Bow Valley Gap wildlife crossing

The Calgary architectural firm behind its new event centre received an award for its design of the Bow Valley Gap Wildlife Overpass. (Photo courtesy Dialog/IdeaLab)

The Calgary architectural firm responsible for the city’s new Scotia Place event centre received an award for an innovative wildlife crossing in the Bow Valley.

On March 4, DIALOG was presented with the Minister’s Award for Transportation Innovation at the Transportation Connects Alberta conference for its overpass, which will save the lives of animals and hopefully reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions.

The Bow Valley Gap Wildlife Overpass is the first wildlife overpass in Alberta outside of Banff National Park, where wildlife crossings are managed by Parks Canada.

The overpass is located east of the park between Lac des Arcs and Highway IX, one of the province’s busiest stretches of highway -- with more than 22,000 vehicles a day and up to 30,000 a day during the summer.

DIALOG researched wildlife habitat locations, movement corridors and collision data before designing the crossing, which has twin arches, each spanning over two lanes of traffic.

The arches are covered with soil and vegetation reflective of the local landscape, in an effort to encourage wildlife to use it to cross the road.

There is also 12 kilometres of exclusion fencing along the highway designed to funnel wildlife towards the overpass, in addition to a series of “jump outs” that allow animals who enter the right-of-way to safely exit.

“DIALOG is proud to advance highway safety and environmental preservation across Western Canada through the successful implementation of seven wildlife overpasses,” said project manager and design lead at DIALOG Neil Robson, in a media release. “By creating safe crossings for animals, these structures dramatically cut down wildlife-vehicle collisions, safeguarding both human and animal lives.”

Wildlife overpasses have been successful at reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions everywhere -- in Banff, the crossings have helped to reduce large-mammal collisions by 80 per cent, according to the Think Wildlife Foundation.

Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors has commissioned DIALOG to design three more wildlife crossings.

“At DIALOG, we’re proud to partner with Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors on initiatives that enhance both driver safety and the protection of Alberta’s wildlife,” said Robson. “Our focus remains on designing innovative infrastructure solutions that balance the needs of people and the environment, ensuring long-term benefits for all.”

Launched in Calgary in 1958, DIALOG now has studios in Toronto, Edmonton, Vancouver and San Francisco and employs more than 600 people. Along with its design work on Scotia Place, the firm is also working on the redesign of the Glenbow and has also worked on such iconic Calgary projects as the Central Library, Telus Sky and the DJD Dance Theatre.