Deerfoot Trail is currently Alberta’s busiest freeway and a critical component of Calgary’s transportation network for both commuter travel and goods movement. Since the road’s initial construction in the 1970s, Calgary’s population has doubled, more people have access to vehicles, and traffic volumes have continued to increase.

In 2019, the average weekday traffic volumes were 93,000 vehicles/day at Stoney Trail SE and 190,000 vehicles/day at Memorial Drive. Improvements are needed to bring the road’s capacity closer to the current and projected traffic demands, as well as improve the safety and reliability of this important transportation corridor.