MacKenzie Ravine Trail and Stair Renewal

The City of Edmonton is continuing the planning and design to renew the boardwalk and stairs within the MacKenzie Ravine near 142 Street, between 92A Avenue and 95 Avenue. The MacKenzie Ravine begins near 146 Street at the top of the bank and drops into a deep ravine as it extends eastwards towards the North Saskatchewan River. Construction is scheduled for 2027, with vegetation removals in early October 2026

This project includes the following:

• Replacement of the wooden stairs on the west side of 142 Street with new wooden stairs that meet current City standards

• Replacement of the boardwalk structure along the bottom of the MacKenzie Ravine with granular trail

• Permanent closure of the trail leading to Riverside Drive due to property line encroachment and safety concerns

This project will replace deteriorated trail infrastructure to provide safe access for users and maintain connectivity within the North Saskatchewan River Valley.

Note from your Crestwood Community League: With regards to the closure of the trail leading to Riverside Drive, we recognize that this trail is well-used and well-loved by our community. The league advocated strongly for keeping and maintaining a single-track hiking trail. Unfortunately, we were unsuccessful as the geotechnical recommendations regarding slope stability indicated this was not possible..

Boardwalk Closure and Upcoming Vegetation Removals

Due to seasonal freeze-thaw events leading to uneven heaving and a sloped deck surface, the boardwalk will be closed on October 30, 2026.

Vegetation removals are required adjacent to the stairs for safe construction and future maintenance. Dead trees crossing the trail will also be removed. This work is planned for October 2026. All work is expected to be complete in fall 2027.

Pedestrian and Cycle Detours

Pathway, neighbourhood and park connectivity will be maintained except for the narrow trail connection from the bottom of the ravine up to Riverside Drive. This segment will be permanently closed in 2027 due to encroachment on private property and safety concerns, such as erosion and bank stability.

Pedestrian and cyclist detour information related to the boardwalk closure and construction of the new ground level trail is posted at the trail accesses at both 146 Street and 142 Street, and available on the City of Edmonton Trail Cautions and Closures Map. (see Map 1 below)

Please visit edmonton.ca/MacKenzieRavine for more information. Should you have any questions or wish to discuss the project in more detail, contact Mitchell Schutta, Acting Engineering Program Manager, at mitchell.schutta@edmonton.ca.