Valley Line LRT delayed, again: New expected opening in summer 2022

Another delay pushes Valley Line LRT opening back Just weeks after promising the new LRT line would open in early 2022, the builder is pushing the date back again. Jeremy Thompson reports.

EDMONTON — The Valley Line Southeast LRT faces another delay pushing the project's estimated completion date to summer 2022.

Delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic mean the newest leg of the LRT system in Edmonton will not be open to commuters until next summer.

TransED CEO Ronald Juncas announced the delay Thursday afternoon, the public-private project partner with the city.

In October, TransEd said the line would be open to riders by early 2022, primarily due to pandemic-related delays slowing progress toward testing and the completion of the Tawatinâ Bridge spanning the North Saskatchewan River. No exact opening date was provided at the time.

According to Juncas, once the construction season ended this winter, subcontractors informed TransEd that the early 2022 timeline could not be achieved.

96 PER CENT OF CONSTRUCTION COMPLETED

Construction first began on the Valley Line in spring 2016, with an expected completion date of December 2020.

To date, TransEd says approximately 96 per cent of the construction for the 13-kilometre LRT leg is completed.

"We understand this may come as a disappointment as many citizens are eager to see the line open," Juncas added. "We regret the inconvenience the delay has caused and will cause to Edmontonians."

The plan for the next six months includes finishing construction and testing all system components, from lighting, power, to traffic signals.

Brad Smith, City of Edmonton project manager, said the city is disappointed in the delay but remains hopeful that significant progress is being made.

"TransEd has given us a schedule," Smith said. "We can see that path through to the summer, through to completion.

"We want to make sure that we do this right," he added. "These are very complex systems."

According to Smith, the city and TransEd have a "robust" contract, and that the private partner is "feeling" the implications of delays.

The delay is not expected to impact the city's budget for 2022, Smith said.

City administration is recommending a tax increase of 1.8 per cent for next year. If approved, an Edmonton household would pay on average $714 for every $100,000 of their assessed property value — representing an increase of $14 from last year's average. A dollar of that $14 increase will cover the cost of the Valley Line LRT.

The $1.8 billion project will connect Mill Woods to downtown Edmonton with 11 street-level stops, a short tunnel from the north face of the River Valley through to the Quarters redevelopment, and an elevated station with a 1,300 park-and-ride and transit centre in the Wagner area.

"This is the city of Edmonton's largest infrastructure project to date," Juncas said. "The Valley Line Southeast LRT is a transformational project that will change how communities move around the city.

"We thank everyone for the continued patience and understanding."