Construction disruption: Major roadwork, closures for Edmonton Valley Line LRT start this month

Time spent travelling between Downtown and the west end will soon be longer for many Edmontonians, with some major intersection closures and reduced lanes on busy routes starting this month.

More intensive road construction is planned along the west leg of the Valley Line LRT from mid-April to November in three phases.

Jonathan Cox, construction manager for Marigold Infrastructure Partners, said this “accelerated” plan is an improvement because it will wrap up construction in some areas more quickly.

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“The negative is, there is an increased amount of disruption in the short term. We think that is an advantage to everyone including the businesses and the stakeholders. It certainly is an advantage to us, because we want to get in, work efficiently, be finished, reopen the roadway on the final alignment,” he told reporters Friday.

While this will speed up work at intersections, apart from 104 Avenue, the plan isn’t to speed up construction along the rest of the route.

Phase 1

The biggest and longest disruption is expected to be on 104 Avenue for the spring, summer, and into the fall.

Lanes will be reduced to one in each direction for nine months on the 2.3-kilometre stretch between 105 Street by Rogers Place west through Wîhkwêntôwin (formerly Oliver) to 121 Street. Crews will start early preparations the week of April 14 — moving pylons, laying barriers, and adjusting traffic — with the intensive roadwork kicking off the next week.

The intersection of Stony Plain Road and 124 Street will be completely shut down for up to two months starting the week of April 21. No vehicles will be able to cross through the intersection.

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Stony Plain Road at 156 Street will partially close down around the same time for up to three months, with traffic access shifting halfway through.

The next partial closure is scheduled for early May at 87 Avenue and Meadowlark Road for two-and-a-half months. There will be one lane open in each direction on 87 Avenue.

Finishing this phase will trigger the next one, though the city warns there may be minor traffic restrictions left over.

Phases 2 and 3

The second phase is set for July to September.

Roadwork along 104 Avenue will continue. There will be a partial closure at Stony Plain Road and 142 Street, and at 95 Avenue and 156 Street.

The third phase will wrap up the work on 104 Avenue, and add a partial closure to Stony Plain Road at 149 Street, wrapping up by mid-November.

‘Deliver 100 per cent’

Cox told reporters he’s “very confident” Marigold will deliver on the updated schedule.

“We have secured some contractors who are committed to working longer hours to make this happen,” he said.

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“We are planning to deliver 100 per cent in line with the commitments made at council.”

The biggest risk to the schedule, he explained, is rain. Particularly if there are multiple days of downpours.

And despite the expected cost increases due to tariffs in the ongoing trade war with the United States, Cox said the company will stick to the completion date of 2028.

“Marigold are fully committed to the timeline of completing construction by 2028. Cost challenges and tariff challenges, we are working through, and we will not allow that to impact the construction timeline.”

lboothby@postmedia.com

@laurby

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