The City of Edmonton is progressing into the second phase of its accelerated roadwork this summer, aimed at accommodating the 14-kilometre extension of the Valley Line LRT that will stretch from the downtown area to the west side.
The city has decided to close specific intersections to allow the contractor, Marigold Infrastructure Partners, to complete work approximately twice as fast as initially planned, rather than keeping access open and prolonging the construction for several more years.
Starting next week, both Stony Plain Road and 139 Street will be closed to traffic for approximately nine weeks. Additionally, there will be a partial closure planned at Stony Plain Road and 142 Street.
Roadwork will also begin in the area of 95 Avenue and 156 Street, leading to some partial closures, but this won’t commence until the work on Stony Plain Road and 156 Street is finished.
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“We understand this construction is disruptive to commuters, residents, and local businesses, and we thank everyone for their ongoing patience,” said Brian Latte, the Valley Line West Director for the City of Edmonton, in a statement.
As the project transitions to Phase 2, some construction at the intersections from Phase 1 will soon conclude.
Traffic is anticipated to resume at the intersection of Stony Plain Road and 124 Street next week, following a seven-week closure.
“Due to favorable conditions, we are able to reopen the 124 Street intersection on schedule,” stated Jonathan Cox, the construction manager for Marigold Infrastructure Partners.
“We acknowledge that this closure significantly impacted local businesses, and we greatly appreciate their understanding throughout this crucial construction phase.”
The three-phase expedited plan began in April and is expected to conclude by the end of November, leading to substantial traffic restrictions at major intersections and busy routes.
During a news conference on Friday morning, both city officials and Marigold announced their intention to implement full intersection closures in future projects as a strategic approach.
“Every situation is unique. Traffic impacts vary by location. If we can implement strategies similar to those used in this project successfully, we absolutely will,” said Latte.
“Everything has progressed as we had anticipated,” explained Cox.
“We understand that perhaps some members of the community had doubts—rightly so, given the performance of past projects in the city. However, we believe this represents our new standard moving forward, and we can meet these timelines.”
Work will continue along the 104 Avenue corridor between 106 Street and 121 Street throughout all three phases.
By the end of 2025, Marigold plans to have all roads surrounding the LRT in their final layout.
Significant construction began in 2021, and the line is currently more than 40% complete.
Marigold expects that about 60% of the project will be finished by the end of the year.
The entire western section of the Valley Line LRT is projected to be completed by 2028.
This project is a public-private collaboration being managed by Marigold Infrastructure Partners, a combination of the French construction firm Colas and the American engineering firm Parsons.
Forty-six low-floor train cars for the line will be provided by Hyundai Rotem Company.
— With contributions from Karen Bartko, Global News
