City eyes the future with 17th Avenue facelift

Whether you're a person or a stretch of pavement, 30 years of hard labour can take its toll. When you're as heavily travelled as 17th Avenue S.W., the effect is multiplied. That's why the City of Calgary, armed with a $44 million budget, is giving much of the area a facelift. From Macleod Trail to 14th Street S.W., the City is upgrading utilities, rebuilding the road and improving pedestrian areas to pave the way for future use.

"This began as simply a road construction project," said Ryan Murray, a spokesperson for the City of Calgary's transportation department. "After 30 years, it was time to dig down and rebuild the foundation of 17th Avenue. We decided that while we were down there, we should make the most of it by upgrading old utilities and rebuilding the road."

Sampling the 17th Avenue restaurant scene

Crossing the city from east to west, 17th Avenue is both thoroughfare and destination. Cleaved by the Elbow and Bow rivers, it's not a direct route, but the two halves are sides of the same coin, bonded by street name and a string of restaurants worth seeking out. Whether east or west, expect to find restaurants that celebrate and reflect Calgary's well-crafted and culturally diverse culinary scene.