Calgary commuters groaned in frustration yesterday as they learned Southland station will be closed for weeks while crews extend its platform to handle future four-car LRT models.

Sam Klemenz said he had only just learned of the closure, which begins Saturday.

“It’s huge,” the 23-year-old said. “I use this station every day … It’s always filled.”

Calgary Transit spokewoman Theresa Schroder said typically her organization likes to provide more warning of a closure, but they wanted to look at every possible alternative before shutting down the station outright.

“We kept going back to the contractors with something new but we just had to do it,” she said.

Calgary Transit is encouraging affected commuters to use nearby stations, such as Heritage and Anderson, but some commuters worry about overcrowding.

Sharon Gordon, a frequent user of the Anderson station, said the closure is making her rethink her travel routine.

“There’s still a lot of parking here now but it’s going to get filled up,” she said.

“I would likely consider taking the bus as opposed to driving.”

When asked about overcrowding at adjacent stations, Schroder said, “It will be probably touch-and-go for a few weeks.”