2024 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 the 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 in 2024, anticipated timelines for construction and current/upcoming work Edmontonians will see and experience over the coming months.

Anticipated Project Timelines

Valley Line West - Downtown to Lewis Farms

Budget

$2.6 billion

Completed work (July - December 2024)

Valley Line West is a 14-kilometre LRT extension from downtown to Lewis Farms, and the second stage of the Valley Line. This extension will include 14 stops and 2 stations. In 2024, Marigold Infrastructure Partners (MIP), the contractor building Valley Line West, continued working along various sections of the alignment. Most notably, this work included:

Reopening of the new Stony Plain Road Bridge over Groat Road
Reopening Stony Plain Road between 129 Street and 139 Street
First embedded track slab installed at Stony Plain Road and 139 Street
Completion of piling for all utility complexes
Continued work on the elevated guideway along 87 Avenue
Continued work on 107 Street between 104 Avenue and 102 Avenue
Work at major intersections including 156 Street and Stony Plain Road, and 87 Avenue and Meadowlark Road
Work on the Anthony Henday Drive LRT Bridge and the approach structures
Continued work on the Gerry Wright Operations and Maintenance Facility
Continued work on the Lewis Farms Storage Facility and Lewis Farms Park and Ride

Watch MIP’s look-back video outlining completed work in 2024.

Hyundai Rotem Company (HRC) is supplying 46 low-floor light rail vehicles (LRVs) for the Valley Line, which will be compatible along the entire alignment to provide a seamless customer experience. Design review work was completed in 2024. The first low-floor LRV has been produced and testing is now underway.

Stakeholder Relations/Public Updates

The City and MIP connect regularly with community members and businesses affected by LRT construction. The stakeholder relations program runs year-round and includes business outreach and regular stakeholder meetings. In 2024, the Valley Line street team had over 17,000 individual interactions with Edmontonians at various public events, festivals and gatherings.

Stay up to date with LRT news from the City of Edmonton and construction updates from Marigold Infrastructure Partners. For more information, visit the Valley Line West project website.

Current/upcoming work

MIP expects to work along the majority of the alignment in 2025, including:

Continuing road work at various major intersections, including along Stony Plain Road, 104 Avenue, 102 Avenue, 156 Street and 87 Avenue
Work on the north side of Stony Plain Road between 149 Street and 156 Street
Continuing work on the Overhead Catenary System (which supplies electricity to the light rail vehicles), permanent streetlights and utility complex along Stony Plain Road
Continuing installation of elevated guideway spans along 87 Avenue
Continuing work on the Anthony Henday Drive LRT Bridge
Continuing work on the Lewis Farms Storage Facility and Gerry Wright Operations and Maintenance Facility
Continuing work on stops, stations and utility complexes at various locations
Continuing to lay track along the alignment

Valley Line West construction is anticipated to be complete in 2028, followed by an extensive testing and commissioning phase to ensure safety and reliability before the integrated Valley Line opens for service. The duration of the testing and commissioning phase is unknown at this time.

Lewis Farms Storage Facility

Work on the train storage facility at Lewis Farms continued throughout 2024, including track work and exterior cladding on the north face of the building.

Gerry Wright Operations and Maintenance Facility

Expansion of the Gerry Wright Operations and Maintenance Facility on 75 Street is ongoing. In late 2024, construction included roofing, window glazing, interior concrete slab and track tie-in work. In 2025, major construction will continue inside and outside the facility to prepare for the arrival of light rail vehicles in mid- to late-summer.

Work along Stony Plain Road

On November 30, a major milestone was achieved on Stony Plain Road, when the stretch of road between 129 Street and 139 Street reopened to traffic. The new Stony Plain Road Bridge also reopened to vehicles and pedestrians on November 30. The new bridge was reconstructed to accommodate LRT tracks in the middle, one lane of vehicle traffic in each direction and a shared-use path. Most adjacent streets will be right in/right out only along Stony Plain Road as the final configuration. Work on the Overhead Catenary System (which supplies electricity to the LRVs), permanent streetlights, tracks, stop platforms and the utility complex in the area is ongoing. Intermittent lane closures for short periods of time will take place to complete outstanding work in this area. The public will continue to be notified of any construction impacts.

In December 2024, traffic was switched to the south side of Stony Plain Road between 151 Street and 156 Street to begin preparing the north side of the road for construction. Work will continue along Stony Plain Road in 2025.

Reopening of Stony Plain Road Bridge
First rail installed on Valley Line West at Stony Plain Road and 139 Street
Completed rail installation on Stony Plain Road and 139 Street
Anthony Henday Drive LRT Bridge
Utility complex on 107 Street and 104 Avenue
Gerry Wright OMF-B
Grovenor Stop
Along Meadowlark Road/156 Street
Elevated Guideway near Misericordia Hospital
WEM Station elevated guideway
Hyundai Rotem Company assembling the first LRV in South Korea
Track work at Lewis Farms Storage Facility

Metro Line Northwest (Phase 1) - NAIT to Blatchford

Budget

$291 million

Completed work (July - December 2024)

Metro Line Northwest from NAIT to Blatchford is a critical mass transit connection into the city’s downtown core. The 1.6-kilometre extension is a high-floor system with “urban” LRT design features for a more seamless integration with the developing Blatchford community.

Phase 1 of the extension opened on January 20, 2024, with service to the NAIT/Blatchford Market Station (replacing the former temporary NAIT Station). Farther north, Blatchford Gate Station will open when the criteria for the City’s Transit Service Standards (Policy C539A) are met. The new stations have longer platforms which increase capacity from three-car trains up to five-car trains, helping with future ridership demand.

With the opening of the permanent NAIT/Blatchford Market LRT station in January of 2024, PCL, the City’s contractor, demolished the former temporary NAIT Station in 2024 to make way for landscaping and architectural elements. Crews installed accent walls with lighting, extended shared-use paths near the NAIT campus and repaved the parking lot near the station. Grass and native plants were added to the area to create a welcoming communal space for students. Public art commissioned by an Indigenous artist will be added to the area in 2025.

The shared-use paths along 118 Avenue and 123 Avenue were completed in 2023 to improve connections to the downtown core’s active transportation network. In coordination with ongoing Blatchford development, the pedestrian connections across LRT trackway at 118 Avenue and 119 Avenue were opened to the public in Fall 2024, enhancing connectivity for Blatchford residents, NAIT and area users.

Current/upcoming work (Phase 2):

With Phase 1 complete, it sets the stage for future phases of the Metro Line Northwest, which is a key priority for City Council.

As part of the 2023-2026 Capital Budget, $20 million has been approved to acquire land to accommodate future construction of Phase 2, a 4.2-kilometre extension from Blatchford to Castle Downs. In 2024, members of the City’s real estate team connected with affected property owners and are working with them towards voluntary acquisitions. Phase 2 delivery funding has not been secured.

For more information, visit Metro Line Northwest.

Former NAIT Station concrete demolition
Former site of NAIT Station
Blatchford Gate Station (with solar panels)
NAIT/Blatchford Market Station (with solar panels)
Shared-use-path leading to the NAIT/Blatchford Market Station
Shared-use-path leading to the NAIT/Blatchford Market Station
Accent walls lit up at the former NAIT Station

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

Budget

$1.38 billion

Completed work (July - December 2024)

Capital Line South (Phase 1) is a 4.5 km high-floor LRT extension from Century Park station to north of Ellerslie Road. It will help serve the growing population of south and southwest Edmonton. In June 2024, Capital Line Design-Build Ltd., a member of the Ledcor Group of Companies, with AECOM as their design partner, was awarded the Design-Build contract for Phase 1.

Early works construction along 111 Street began in 2022 and is expected to wrap up at the end of 2024. This work includes the construction of a lift station and shallow drainage work to prepare the area of 23 Avenue and 111 Street for the future LRT underpass. EllisDon, the City’s early works contractor, will complete construction of the visual screen fence for eligible homeowners and condo buildings along the LRT alignment by the end of the year.

In mid-November, Ledcor implemented a major lane shift at the intersection of 23 Avenue and 111 Street in preparation for the future LRT underpass. Two traffic lanes, plus turning lanes, are open in each direction. The lane shift will be in place for approximately two years. Ledcor also began site clearing and stripping at the site of the future Operations and Maintenance Facility south of Anthony Henday Drive.

To stay informed on the project, we encourage residents/businesses to subscribe to the City’s ongoing email construction notices by visiting Capital Line South.

Current/upcoming work

Throughout December 2024 and into early 2025, Ledcor will remove the berm along the west side of 111 Street between 23 Avenue and Saddleback Road/19 Avenue. This work is necessary to make space for the track bed and an entrance to the LRT underpass.

Major construction on the extension will begin in 2025 and is anticipated to take 4-5 years to complete, followed by testing and commissioning.

Visual screen fence along 111 Street

Crews are expected to complete construction of the visual screen fence along the LRT alignment by the end of 2024. Prior to the start of installation, the City contacted residents and confirmed the consent of eligible property owners as the new fence was built along the property line.

Major lane shift at 23 Avenue & 111 Street intersection

A major lane shift at the intersection of 23 Avenue and 111 Street began in November 2024 to allow for the construction of the LRT underpass, which will eventually allow trains to travel beneath the intersection. The traffic lanes have been shifted northeast of the existing intersection.

Two lanes of traffic and single turn lanes have been maintained in all directions.

The change is expected to be in place for approximately 2 years.

For more information on the traffic changes, see the City of Edmonton’s construction notice.

Visual screen fence installation south of 9 Ave
Early works construction at the 23 Avenue and 111 Street intersection
Lift station at 23 Ave and 111 Street
Rendering of Heritage Valley North LRT Station
Major lane shift at 23 Avenue and 111 Street - looking north
Major lane shift at 23 Avenue and 111 Street - looking southeast
Rendering of Twin Brooks Station

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.

Beam Replacement Project

Last year, crews worked on two escalator replacements at Central Station. During one replacement, additional repairs were identified on an existing concrete beam. The escalator is complete and ready for service but it must remain closed to the public until the beam repairs are done.

103A Avenue and 99 Street Pedway Project

In March 2024, construction began on the 99 Street underground pedway from Churchill LRT Station to the Station Lands development north of 104 Avenue. The new underground pedway will provide access to key destinations in the city’s downtown core, including the new Station Lands development, and 103A Avenue/104 Avenue via a new street-level pop-up access (between CN Tower and the Royal Alberta Museum). This year, Ledcor, the City’s contractor, focused on excavation, drainage and shoring along 99 Street east of City Hall and the area between 103A Avenue/104 Avenue. Crews will add hoarding and heating equipment to these work areas, allowing them to continue their work through the winter. The pedway will include public art. Construction is anticipated to be completed in 2026.

MacEwan & Corona LRT Station improvements

Security cameras, doors, lighting and other safety enhancements have been added to the MacEwan and Corona LRT Stations as part of the Alberta Transit System Cleanup Grant. The stations were chosen for improvements as they are high-traffic locations in the downtown core. Remaining work to upgrade the canopy at Corona Station and doors at MacEwan Station is ongoing.

95 Street Track Work

In September, track rehabilitation work at 95 Street, between 105 and 106 Avenue, helped to address aging infrastructure to improve the longevity of the LRT system. Crews closed the roadway for two weekends to remove and replace the northbound and southbound tracks.

In 2025, crews will conduct track work at University Avenue and 114 Street (Capital Line) and 111 Avenue and 106 Street (Metro Line). More information will be communicated when details and timelines are confirmed.

Harbin Gate

The new Harbin Gate will be built on 97 Street, just north of Jasper Avenue, where foundations and landscaping have already been installed. Design of the new gate is progressing. Target completion for the gate is 2026. The City continues to collaborate with Edmonton’s Chinese Benevolent Association (CBA), the City of Harbin and other key stakeholders. More details about the new gate will be shared with the public as they become available.

Corona LRT Station door enhancements
95 Street track renewal work
103A Ave and 99 St Pedway - project shoring
103A Ave and 99 St Pedway - tunnel preparation
Harbin Gate ( Jasper Ave looking north) - rendering of schematic design (subject to change)

Light Rail Vehicle (LRV) Procurement

The LRT expansion projects approved by City Council will require significant growth in the 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 45 years, has resulted in the need to procure 50-70 LRVs for the Capital Line and Metro Line in the next 8 to 10 years, depending on funding and operational needs.

The City is planning to replace the 37 original Siemens U2 LRVs in conjunction with the vehicles for the expansion projects described below to obtain economies of scale in purchasing.

Expansion Projects

LRV procurement for LRT expansion projects is summarized below:

Valley Line Southeast

This project included 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

Hyundai Rotem Company will supply 46 new low-floor LRVs for the project. Design review work was completed in 2024. The first low-floor LRV has been produced and testing is now underway. The City anticipates LRVs will be delivered beginning in mid-2025. These LRVs will be compatible with, and will be incorporated into, the entire Valley Line fleet.

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

The City of Edmonton’s Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for the design and manufacturing of up to 53 new high-floor light-rail vehicles (LRVs) closed in December 2024. The RFQ received strong interest from industry and a total of six submissions were received from international bidding teams.

The City will evaluate the submissions in early January 2025 and select up to four bidders to participate in the detailed Request for Proposals phase. The City hopes to award a contract in late 2025.

High-floor LRVs are necessary to replace the 37 aging U2 models that have been operating on Capital Line and Metro Line for more than 45 years. Up to 16 LRVs are being procured to accommodate service growth for the Capital Line South Extension and Metro Line Northwest Extension.

Light Rail Vehicle (low floor) - rendering #1

Light Rail Vehicle (low floor) - rendering #2