City selects contractor to bring transformational Valley Line West LRT to life

The City has selected its contractor to design, build and partially finance the Valley Line West LRT, setting the stage for construction of the transformational project to begin next year. 

After a rigorous procurement process, the City selected Marigold Infrastructure Partners as its preferred proponent (or contractor) for the project.  Next, the City and Marigold Infrastructure Partners will enter into discussions to finalize the Valley Line West LRT project agreement. The City expects the process to be wrapped up by the end of 2020. 

That means the detailed design and construction on the 14-kilometre line, which will run between Downtown and Lewis Farms, can start in 2021. 

The future West Edmonton Mall Station will be elevated and located in the same location as the existing West Edmonton Mall Transit Centre. Find out more about our plans here. 

Economic kick-start

As the City deals with the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, large-scale infrastructure projects like the Valley Line West will help kick-start Edmonton’s economic recovery. The project is expected to generate 8,800 jobs in Alberta and 2,700 jobs in Canada, along with $760 million in wages in Alberta and another $209 million in the country.

“We are so excited to mark this important milestone in our procurement and to begin the next stage of this important city-building LRT project,” said Brad Smid, Valley Line Director for the City of Edmonton.

“The Valley Line West LRT will help transform Edmonton as we grow into an even more vibrant city that can support a population of two million people in the coming decades,” said Smid. “And as we plan our COVID-19 recovery in the short-term, investments like these will be the boost we need to get there.”

Getting the Valley Line West LRT through procurement and ready for construction was no small feat. The pandemic heightened the challenge. Despite it all, the LRT project team kept sight of their goals, adjusted to the new reality and kept the process on track.

The future Grovenor/142 Street Stop will transform Stony Plain Road near 142 Street

What is procurement?

Procurement is the competitive process the City uses to find a contractor for its projects. 

The City launched the Valley Line West procurement in January 2020 with a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) that invited contractors to demonstrate their experience and ability to deliver a project of this scope. In mid-March, the City invited a shortlist of three teams to participate in the Request for Proposals (RFP) phase. Adapting to COVID-19 restrictions, the City team continued procurement using virtual tools and online solutions.

In the RFP phase, proponents provided technical submissions that included draft designs and other plans to demonstrate how they would meet the technical requirements for the project. The City evaluated those proposals, and proponents were invited to make their financial bid. 

The team with the lowest financial submission was then selected as the City’s preferred proponent. 

In the closing stage, all agreements are to be finalized and signed off. The outcome of the closing stage, and the completion of the procurement process, is the signed Project Agreement, which defines the project requirements, the responsibilities of the parties and the contract price. It will also serve to govern the implementation of the project for the next several years.

Want to know more?

Interested in updates on the Valley Line West LRT project? Visit our project website or join our mailing list (be sure to select “Valley Line – Downtown to Lewis Farms”). You can also send questions or comments to the LRT Projects Information Centre by leaving a voicemail at 780-496-4874 or emailing LRTprojects@edmonton.ca

Editor’s note: the pic at the top of the post is an artist’s rendering of the future Alex Decoteau Stop on 102 Avenue between 105 and 106 Street.