2022 End of Season LRT Construction Update

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LRT expansion plays a critical role in enhancing mobility and access for Edmontonians and will transform the way people live, work and play in the city for decades to come.

The following update is prepared twice per year to help City Council and Edmontonians stay informed on progress being made to advance LRT expansion and renewal across our city. It provides an overview of the current stage of each major LRT project, work completed this year, anticipated timelines for construction and operations, and current/upcoming work Edmontonians will see and experience over the coming months.

2022 End of Season LRT Construction update

Valley Line Southeast (Downtown to Mill Woods)

Budget

$1.8 billion

Completed work (June-December 2022):

Valley Line Southeast will be an important addition to the City’s integrated transit network, and will add approximately 13 kilometres to Edmonton’s mass transit network. During the summer, landscaping projects were completed and TransEd continued with testing and commissioning along the line. In July, cracks were discovered in some of the piers supporting the elevated tracks, which halted testing along the elevated guideways at Davies Station and south of the river valley. TransEd is fully responsible for repairing the piers, including all costs. None of the piers on the Tawatinâ Bridge require repairs, and it remains safe to drive and walk beneath the elevated guideways.

Current/upcoming work:

As of late December 2022, TransEd has completed almost all of the pier repairs, which allows train testing to resume on the elevated tracks. Line wide system demonstration testing will occur over the coming months to ensure the system is functioning safely and reliably. As testing progresses, more trains will be on the tracks, so please continue to obey all traffic signs and signals. More information about the timing of service commencement will be announced once TransEd has made progress on system demonstration testing.

Public Safety Education Campaign

The City and TransEd continue to educate Edmontonians about how to stay safe around this style of LRT which is new to Edmonton. The City’s public safety education campaign began in January 2022 and will continue until after service commencement. Remember, if you “See Tracks, Expect a Train.”

Key safety messages for Edmontonians:

Please follow the rules of the road, and obey all signs and signals.
Right turns are not allowed on red lights at some intersections.
There are no crossing arms, gates or bells at intersections - this style of LRT is common in many other cities.
Do not stop on the tracks or race a train across the tracks.
If you “See Tracks, Expect a Train.” - from either direction.

For more information, visit the Valley Line Southeast page.

Valley Line West (Downtown to Lewis Farms)

Budget

$2.6 billion

Completed work (June–December 2022):

Valley Line West is a 14-kilometre LRT extension from downtown to Lewis Farms in west Edmonton, and the second stage of the Valley Line. Marigold Infrastructure Partners (MIP), the company building Valley Line West, continues to make construction progress along various sections of the alignment including: partial reconstruction of the Lewis Farms Park & Ride, foundation construction of the Lewis Farms Storage Facility, and piling foundation on the future elevated guideways along 87 Avenue. Tree removals and utility relocations also took place at worksites on Anthony Henday Drive, 87 Avenue, 156 Street/Meadowlark Road and along Stony Plain Road.

Marigold Infrastructure Partners created a look-back video that summarizes the work that’s been done so far.

Community Stakeholder Activities

The City of Edmonton is conducting stakeholder relations activities with citizens affected by construction. The stakeholder relations program runs year-long and includes business outreach, regular stakeholder meetings, and citizen working groups. Stay up-to- date with LRT news from the City of Edmonton, and with construction updates from our partners at Marigold Infrastructure Partners.

For more information, visit the Valley Line West page.

Current/upcoming work:

MIP is focusing on work near West Edmonton Mall and Misericordia hospital, along Stony Plain Road, 156 Street/Meadowlark Road, at the future site of the Gerry Wright Operations and Maintenance Facility (Site 2), and near Lewis Farms.

Work near West Edmonton Mall & Misericordia

Significant work will continue in 2023 for the elevated guideway and elevated stations at West Edmonton Mall and the Misericordia Community Hospital. Pier construction on 87 Avenue is ongoing and will continue throughout 2023.

Work along Stony Plain Road

Major construction is underway along Stony Plain Road. Construction between 144 and 156 Street has started, and MIP will continue work on the south side of the road, including sidewalk removals. Pedestrian access to businesses will be maintained, but expect detours. Traffic has been shifted to the north side of the road, and reduced to a single lane in each direction. Once construction is completed on the south side of the road, work will shift to the north side.

MIP will demolish the existing Stony Plain Road bridge across Groat Road starting December 29, 2022. As a result, Stony Plain Road from 129 Street to 131 Street will undergo a complete closure to accommodate the bridge removal and replacement. Construction of the new bridge is anticipated to continue until fall 2024.

Roadwork on 156 Street/Meadowlark Road

MIP continues doing roadwork along 156 Street/Meadowlark Road between 88 and 100 Avenue. This work will continue into 2023.

Lewis Farms

Construction is underway on the train storage facility and Park & Ride at Lewis Farms. This storage facility will be located south of the existing Lewis Farms transit centre. In addition, work will start in 2023 on the LRT bridge over Anthony Henday Drive, along with drainage work needed in this area.

Gerry Wright Operations and Maintenance Facility (OMF)

Site preparation work progressed in 2022 at the Gerry Wright OMF site, and foundation work for the second Valley Line OMF building on this site will continue in 2023.

Landscaping/Tree Removals

The City values every single tree, and removals are guided by the City’s Corporate Tree Policy which prioritizes the preservation and protection of trees. Arborists follow strict protocols as part of the decision-making process. Tree removals are ongoing and will continue along Stony Plain Road into 2023. MIP crews are protecting and working around existing trees when possible and will relocate trees or plant new, native species along the alignment.

Metro Line Northwest (Phase 1) - NAIT to Blatchford

Budget

$291 million

Completed work (June-December 2022):

Metro Line Northwest from NAIT to Blatchford, a 1.6-kilometre extension, will be a critical mass transit connection into the city’s downtown core. The extension will be a high-floor system with “urban” LRT design features for a more seamless integration with the developing Blatchford community. The extension is on schedule and is anticipated to open in 2025. This LRT extension will set the stage for future expansion from Blatchford to Campbell Road (Phases 2 and 3), a key priority reaffirmed by City Council.

Construction in 2022 focused on underground utility work in Blatchford, completing the LRT trackway, and continuing work on the two new stations (NAIT/Blatchford Market Station and Blatchford Gate Station) and the utility complexes.

The LRT concrete trackway was completed in fall 2022 and it is now one continuous section from the existing temporary NAIT station to the new Blatchford Gate Station. At the new NAIT/Blatchford Market Station and Blatchford Gate Station, precast concrete platforms with canopies have been installed. Another critical milestone achieved in 2022 was the installation of embedded rails from the NAIT/Blatchford Market Station to the Blatchford Gate Station.

Current/upcoming work:

With the concrete LRT station platforms completed, crews are focusing their work on the station shelters such as installing glass walls, lights, heaters and benches. Crews are also preparing to install solar panels on the platform canopies in December 2022. Producing renewable energy continues to be an important climate resiliency priority.

At the NAIT and Blatchford Utility Complexes, substantial interior and exterior progress has been made and work will continue in 2023. Crews will install mechanical and electrical equipment, including components that will power the LRT.

Construction of the unique “transit mall” in Blatchford (a vehicle-free area with multiple modes of active transportation) is in progress with a pedestrian sidewalk and commuter cycle track running adjacent to the LRT tracks. This concept emphasizes active mobility and provides direct pedestrian access to LRT stations. Design features include a tree-lined sidewalk on both sides of the LRT, and a continuous cycle track along the LRT corridor. Roadway crossings will enable future connections between Blatchford and the surrounding communities.

Most Overhead Catenary System (OCS) poles that will supply power to the trains have been installed and, in 2023, crews will install the OCS, LRT signals, traffic signals, sidewalk, Shared Use Path (SUP), and landscaping.

For more information, visit the Metro Line Northwest page.

Capital Line South (Phase 1) - Century Park to Ellerslie Rd

Budget

$1.1 billion

Completed work (June-December 2022):

Capital Line South (Phase 1), a 4.5-km extension from Century Park station to Ellerslie Road, will help serve the growing population of south/southwest Edmonton. Throughout 2022, early work construction progressed along 111 Street to locate utilities and take measurements that will help prepare the corridor for major construction.

In early 2022, the City also launched the procurement process for selecting the main Design-Build (DB) contractor that will build the LRT extension. During the Request for Qualifications (RFQ), the City received four submissions which were shortlisted by the City’s Evaluation Committee, to the following two bidders:

Capital Line Design-Builders (Aecon, AECOM, Ledcor)
PCL-Graham South Line Solutions (PCL, Graham, Jacobs)

These two bidders will take part in the Request for Proposals (RFP), which is anticipated to be issued in Q1 2023 and awarded by the end of year. Major construction is anticipated to begin in 2024.

Current/upcoming work:

In 2023, crews will continue early work construction, including hydrovacing and utility relocations along 111 Street to prepare the future LRT corridor for major construction. Significant work will occur at the intersection of 23 Avenue and 111 Street, including tunneling work and the installation of a pump station for the LRT underpass that will be built under 23 Avenue.

In 2023, tree removals will also occur at the Operations and Maintenance Facility site just south of the Anthony Henday Drive.

For more information, visit the Capital Line South page.

Capital Line South - new truss bridge over Anthony Henday Drive - preliminary rendering

Capital Line South - 23rd Ave underpass - preliminary rendering

Capital Line South - Twin Brooks station aerial photo - preliminary rendering

LRT Renewal Program

Each year, the LRT Renewal Program focuses on replacing aging infrastructure to keep the existing transit service operating safely and smoothly. This work can vary from smaller projects, like replacing deteriorating concrete and platform warning tiles, to major projects like station redevelopments. This is what we call our “TLC for LRT” work.

Stadium Station Redevelopment

In early November 2022, crews finished work on the Stadium Station redevelopment project. The redevelopment of the station began in 2020, and was necessary to update many of the station's components that were at the end of their lifecycle. The redevelopment work consisted of:

New LRT platform on the west-side of the tracks for event traffic from Commonwealth Stadium
Addition of heated shelters, security office and public washrooms
Removal of the underground public concourse and installation of new street-level ramps at the end of each platform
New open-design overhead roof canopy
New public art installation, benches and furnishings on the expanded plaza
Updating and relocating the communications and electrical rooms

The redeveloped station provides pedestrians and cyclists access on both sides of the tracks, helping to improve multi-mode connectivity between Commonwealth Stadium, Commonwealth Recreation Centre and the nearby Stadium Yards community.

Elevator and Escalator Replacements

Six elevators at Central, Corona and University Stations are being replaced. Crews are currently working on the elevators at Corona station, while work on the University Station elevators began on October 31, 2022 and is anticipated to be completed by March 31, 2023. The Central elevator replacements are being staggered to help minimize impacts to LRT riders while crews replace three escalators at the station. In October an elevator was also replaced at Bay Station.

Three escalators are being replaced at Central Station, with one nearing completion, and another currently under construction. The third escalator will be replaced in 2023 to minimize impacts to LRT riders. Edmontonians will be informed of closures through social media and onsite signage.

Century Park Station Platform Repairs and Warning Tile Upgrades

Tile upgrades at the Century Park Station have been completed. This work involved the replacement of platform warning tiles (the yellow tactile bumps at the edges of platforms), as well as demolishing and rebuilding platform sections that required renewal. Throughout the project, the station remained operational, which involved the project team working closely with contractors to minimize impacts to customers.

Government Centre Station

Crews are continuing work on the electrical system and track-level drainage system components at Government Centre Station. This project is anticipated to be completed in Q1 2023.

Light Rail Vehicle (LRV) Procurement

The LRT expansion projects approved by City Council will require significant growth in the Light Rail Vehicle (LRV) fleet in the coming years. This, combined with the need to replace the 37 original high-floor LRVs that have been operating for more than 40 years, results in the need to procure a considerable number of LRVs in the next 8 to 10 years. Administration is planning to replace the 37 original Siemens U2 LRVs in conjunction with the expansion vehicles described below to obtain economies of scale in purchasing as well as ensure Edmonton continues to have a 2-vehicle fleet.

Expansion Projects

LRV procurement for LRT expansion projects is summarized below:

Valley Line Southeast

This project includes the addition of 26 new Bombardier Flexity low-floor LRVs, which have been supplied through the Valley Line Southeast P3 Project Agreement with TransEd Partners.

Valley Line West

Administration has selected Hyundai Rotem Company as its preferred proponent to supply 46 new LRVs for the project. A mock-up vehicle will be delivered in early 2023 and the City anticipates LRVs will be delivered beginning in 2025.

Capital Line South (Phase 1) / Metro Line Northwest (Phase 1)

As part of both of these LRT extensions, Administration will be procuring 30 high-floor LRVs. The vast majority of these LRVs will service the Capital Line South extension (Phase 1), while the others will serve the Metro Line Northwest extension (Phase 1). The City anticipates procurement for these LRVs will take place in 2023-2024.

Light Rail Vehicle (low floor) - rendering #1

Light Rail Vehicle (low floor) - rendering #2