West leg of LRT on track for December opening

The West LRT route map. The west leg is scheduled to open December 10, 2012 (Map courtesy: westlrt.ca)

Construction of Calgary Transit’s west LRT route is ahead of schedule and C-Trains will begin serving the city's southwest earlier than originally slated.

The west leg will open for service on December 10, 2012 months ahead of the previously announced opening date of March 2013.

“By constructing all the aspects of the project simultaneously, we were able to construct it in just three years,” says Mac Logan, City of Calgary General Manager of Transportation. “To put this schedule into perspective, it usually takes two years to extend an existing LRT line to just one new station.

“We appreciate the support and understanding of people in west Calgary as we escalated the work.”

Construction on the west leg and its six LRT station began in February 2010.

Officials estimate 30,000 Calgarians will use the west line each day which connects the downtown core to the west end of the city.  The route follows Bow Trail until Westbrook mall, travels south underground towards 17 Ave, and follows 17 Ave west across Sarcee Trail before reaching the end of the line at 69 St S.W. near the Westside Rec Centre.

For more information on the West LRT project, visit westlrt.ca