With more than $1 billion in new funding being announced Monday by the federal government, Edmonton is able to move ahead with next steps in building the Valley and Metro LRT lines.
The federal government on Monday will announce $948 million for the Valley Line, a 14-kilometre stretch from downtown to Lewis Farms, plus $127 million for the 1.5-kilometre Metro Line extension from NAIT into Blatchford, the city stated in a press release on Monday morning.
The money, to be formally announced at an afternoon event with François-Philippe Champagne, federal minister of infrastructure and communities, comes from the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Plan funds.
“We are undertaking the most ambitious expansion of our LRT network in our history so we can grow smart and sustainably, and keep more than a million people moving,” Mayor Don Iveson said in the release.
“Today’s announcement is a true representation of partnership between all levels of government, a partnership that is needed in order to continue to make valuable investments like these that will benefit the generations to come.”
The federal money is in addition to about $1.17 billion previously committed to the projects by the Alberta government. That funding, which comes from the Climate Leadership Plan, included about $1.04 billion for the Valley Line West LRT and approximately $131 million for the first phase of the Metro Line Northwest LRT.
With funding commitments now in place, the city can begin selecting contractors for the two projects. As well, it will finalize its own funding requirements, information that will come to city council for consideration this spring.
It will take about one year to select a contractor for the Valley Line project, and up to six years to build. For the Metro Line extension, it will take about a year to complete design and select a contractor, and another four years for construction and commissioning.
Construction on both projects could begin as early as 2020.
“These projects are a major step in growing our LRT network, creating another transportation option for thousands of Edmontonians and providing better connections to where people live, work and play,” city manager Linda Cochrane said in the news release.