Calgary City Council Approves $85 Million Bow River Flood Barrier and Pump Station Contract

CALGARY, AB — Calgary City Council voted 13–1 during its regular council meeting to award an $85 million major civil construction contract to execute the Downtown West Bow River Flood Barrier and Stormwater Pumping Modernization Project.

Safeguarding Downtown Commercial Districts from 1-in-200-Year Flood Events

The civil engineering contract constructs 2.5 kilometers of continuous reinforced concrete flood walls, landscaped earthen berms, and three automated high-capacity stormwater lift pump stations between the Peace Bridge and 14th Street West. The infrastructure project completes Calgary’s comprehensive post-2013 river flood mitigation ring, protecting $4 billion in downtown commercial office buildings, light rail transit tunnels, and residential condominiums from severe spring river surges.

Mayor Jyoti Gondek and council members affirmed that flood resilience is essential to protect downtown workers, prevent catastrophic economic losses, and ensure municipal infrastructure withstands extreme climate weather.

Downtown Business Association and Engineering Endorsements

Calgary Downtown Association praised the flood barrier design for incorporating widened public multi-use pathway promenades and native riparian plantings.

City of Calgary Water Resources engineers confirmed the barrier design accommodates upstream Springbank Off-Stream Reservoir operations.

Construction Groundbreaking

Civil flood wall excavation along the Bow River pathway will commence in October 2026.