It’s going to be another busy year of construction on Edmonton’s Valley Line West LRT.
The City’s contractor, Marigold Infrastructure Partners (MIP), is gearing up for major drainage road work on 107 Street from 102 to 104 Avenue, and on 102 Avenue from 102 to 107 Street. This will include the installation of temporary streetlights and traffic signals, the removal of concrete sidewalks and medians and temporary paving.
Some stops along Valley Line West, which will connect Lewis Farms to downtown Edmonton, will also start taking shape in 2024.
This year’s work follows significant construction milestones achieved along the line in 2023. Each completed segment, road and girder represented a step towards a modern, efficient, and interconnected transportation network for Edmonton.
Here’s a recap of 2023’s milestones:
Stony Plain Road Bridge
A defining moment in the Valley Line West construction journey was the demolition of the Stony Plain Road Bridge. In early 2023, crews demolished the bridge in preparation for the new bridge that will carry pedestrians, cars and the LRT—the first of its kind in Edmonton.
New bridge girders: foundations of connectivity
Girder installations for the new bridge took place over three days, with crews working around the clock. This resulted in the work finishing 12 hours ahead of schedule.
87 Avenue LRT Bridge
MIP will build an LRT bridge on 87 Avenue over Anthony Henday Drive that will connect trains from Lewis Farms Transit Centre into the core of Edmonton. All the foundations were completed in 2023 in anticipation of girder installation in early 2024.
Elevated guideway progress: West Edmonton Mall to Misericordia Hospital
If your commute takes you through the city’s west end, you saw the daily progress made on the elevated guideway. Progress between West Edmonton Mall and the Misericordia Hospital stood at 30 per cent complete as of the end of 2023.
The elevated guideway’s trajectory between the mall and the hospital will serve as a bridge—figuratively and literally—connecting two of Edmonton’s key landmarks. MIP used innovative technology, a gantry crane, to hoist 552 concrete segments into place.
Lewis Farms storage facility: a hub for expansion
Amid the transformative developments along Valley Line West, the construction of the Lewis Farms storage facility on Webber Greens Drive marks a pivotal milestone for 2023.
This facility serves as more than just a storage unit for trains; it’s a critical nerve centre supporting the operational efficiency and expansion of transit in Edmonton. The Lewis Farms Stop, the west terminus of the line, is located north of the storage facility and will integrate into the already-popular Park & Ride to create a transit hub.
Stony Plain Road: a visionary construction journey
With MIP crews at work, the familiar sights of heavy machinery and orange cones became part of the everyday scenery in 2023. Drainage and utility relocation work took place between 129 Street and 156 Street throughout the year. While the construction may temporarily inconvenience commuters with detours and narrowed lanes, the vision for a more accessible, aesthetically pleasing and efficient Stony Plain Road looms on the horizon. It is important to look for new wayfinding and detour signage to help you move through the area during construction.
Expanding infrastructure: Gerry Wright Operations & Maintenance Facility
The Valley Line West project includes the construction of the new Gerry Wright Operations & Maintenance Facility (OMF) to house and maintain light rail vehicles (LRVs). This facility is located beside the existing Gerry Wright OMF, along 51 Street and 75 Street, that serves Valley Line Southeast. This new facility will cater specifically to the storage and upkeep of the Valley Line West LRVs. In 2023, the building started to take shape as the steel frame was constructed.
For more information on the Valley Line West project, visit www.edmonton.ca/projects_plans/transit/valley-line-west.
Editor’s note: the pic at the top of the post shows a gantry crane, which is used to install girders for the elevated guideway between Misericordia Hospital and West Edmonton Mall along 87 Avenue.