Disappointing tone in the article (traffic, traffic, traffic). I for one am excited about LRT coming to the SE, traffic be damned.

Gotta do a full tour of the construction soon.

Construction on all 13 kilometres of Valley Line track hits Edmonton this summer
If you thought construction was already bad in Edmonton, just wait.

TransEd will be opening several new construction sites for the Valley Line LRT project shortly, working on all 13 kilometres of the line at once to get trains running by the end of 2020.

“It is probably the largest urban construction project in Edmonton’s history when you consider how much construction is going on simultaneously across the city,” said Dean Heuman, head of stakeholder relations, giving a public update on construction Wednesday.

But he did have one silver lining. Construction this summer and next will be so bad, adjusting for the actual train should be easy. “To be honest, right now, the traffic we’re generating through construction is probably worse than anything we could possibly have when the train is running.”
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http://edmontonjournal.com/news/loc...f-valley-line-track-hits-edmonton-this-summer

ETA: Elise updated the story with a lot more info since I originally posted this.
 
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Valley Line LRT construction jams up traffic in southeast Edmonton
Edmontonians have come to expect plenty of traffic jams in the city’s southeast area thanks to the construction of the Valley Line LRT.

The LRT expansion is expected to be finished in 2020 and with that in mind, construction crews have been hard at work preparing the route.

“This is a really busy construction year for the TransEd Valley Line LRT,” said TransEd spokesperson Sue Heuman.

“There’s 13 kilometres of alignment and we’re working on almost every inch of it.”

Some areas south of the river are being affected more than others.

“There’s a lot of activity in Mill Woods, there’s a lot of work happening around Whitemud Drive and 75th Street, we’re building an elevated train station in the Davies area,” she said.

“The construction is under way in the river valley for the Tawatina bridge.”
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http://globalnews.ca/news/3494459/valley-line-lrt-construction-traffic/

Edmonton’s Valley Line LRT is on time, even the Bombardier rail cars
...
That will be through next year, but once the track is laid, comes the next phase of preparing for the December 2020 launch. That’s the delivery of the rail cars.

“We expect we’re probably taking delivery in 2018 of our first couple of cars and trains,” he said, insisting they’re on time and on budget.

“Late 2018, early 2019, because they’ll have to do testing.”

Heuman said TransEd is confident Bombardier will be able to deliver, because Edmonton isn’t facing the same problems Toronto is.

“We have a very similar car to every other system that has been ordering them: Kitchener-Waterloo, Ottawa, some of the other places around the world.

“They’re a very stock car. It’s going to have different colouring. But it’s a very stock car, and my understanding is that Toronto has ordered a custom gauge and custom cars and that is causing them some of their delays.”
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http://globalnews.ca/news/3493223/e...lrt-is-on-time-even-the-bombardier-rail-cars/

Edmonton's construction season peaks with Valley Line LRT disruptions

Mill Woods man angry as LRT construction forges ahead on his property line
 
Business near 83 Street concerned about plans for single-lane traffic with Valley Line LRT
As the plan to turn 83 Street to Argyll Road into a single lane of traffic in each direction sinks in with businesses and residents in the area, some worry the city is making a big mistake.

The construction on the Valley Line LRT is underway and it is causing traffic snarls all over the south side but a big concern is what will happen to 83 Street.

Brett Morgan, owner of Sandy Lane Auto, said putting the LRT down the middle of 83 Street and only having a one lane south and one north is going to cause major congestion for the foreseeable future.

“It potentially could hurt my business.”

“I live on the south side of Edmonton and the train track on 119 Street totally affects the way I navigate the south side, so I feel like this could really hurt our business.”
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http://globalnews.ca/news/3495736/b...for-single-lane-traffic-with-valley-line-lrt/
 
“We use that thoroughfare to go downtown constantly. We’re up and down that road five or six times a day with our customer shuttle so it will be a real issue going forward for us.”

If only there was to be some alternative means of getting downtown that your customers could use...

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City seeks input on Valley Line West LRT crossing
Session to look at 149 St/Stony Plain Road intersection
June 19, 2017
The second stage of the Valley Line — a 14 km light-rail extension to be built between downtown and Lewis Farms — is a top priority infrastructure project. Valley Line West will play an integral role in achieving the City’s vision for sustainable transportation that will help connect Edmonton’s communities.

The City is hosting a public engagement session to hear from residents — particularly those who live, work and commute in and through the area — on any issues and opportunities to consider for the crossing assessment.

Date: Wednesday, June 21, 2017
Time: 6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Location: West End Christian Reformed Church, 10015 – 149 Street Map

Preliminary engineering for Valley Line West was completed in 2013 and the City is now ready to review and refine the design. This an important step, as it will acknowledge any changes that have occurred since the original work was done and will position the project for construction when additional funding becomes available.

The review includes the assessment of the high-volume intersection at 149 Street/Stony Plain Road, to ensure the crossing planned for the intersection is still appropriate.

A separate engagement session will be held for the crossing assessment at 178 Street and 87 Avenue on June 29. For more information and to provide feedback online, visit edmonton.ca/valleylinewest.

Media contacts:
Alison Burns
Communications Advisor
LRT Delivery, Valley Line West
780-496-8191
 
Busy west Edmonton intersection focus of LRT info session Wednesday night
Edmonton residents interested in having a say on the final design of the west leg of the LRT and how the line will interact with two major intersections are invited to attend two public engagement sessions. The first session takes place Wednesday night.

The second stage of the Valley Line LRT will see a 14-kilometre stretch built between downtown and Lewis Farms in west Edmonton. The city is holding the session to hear from residents – particularly those who live, work and commute in and through the area.

Ward 1 Coun. Andrew Knack said one of the main topics will be the high-volume intersection of Stony Plain Road and 149 Street, and whether the LRT should be raised above or tunnelled below the major intersection.

“The point of tonight is to just see what people’s appetite is for this,” Knack said.

“I’m inclined to think it’s going to be quite high, having talked about this for the last 10 years with people,” he laughed. “It is important that we have that conversation just to get some feedback.”

Another session will be held next week to discuss the crossing at 178 Street and 87 Avenue — a busy intersection at the southwest corner of West Edmonton Mall.

The city said elevating the west LRT line over both major intersections would add between $50 million and $75 million to the overall cost, which is currently pegged at $1.8 billion.

Going under would be even more expensive: the city estimates an underground section would cost $175 to $200 million.
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http://globalnews.ca/news/3545575/b...on-focus-of-lrt-info-session-wednesday-night/

City on track to finalize plan for west leg of Valley Line LRT
Edmonton is on track to finalize its plan for the western leg of the Valley Line LRT, more than three years after completing the preliminary designs.

The 14-kilometre route will extend from 102nd Street downtown to Lewis Farms. It's the second leg of the Valley Line, which is now under construction in southeast Edmonton.

Once both stages are completed, 27 kilometres of track will connect southeast and west Edmonton.

"We've gone decades in the west end without mass transit of this kind," said Andrew Knack, city councillor for Ward 1. "It's new for everyone."

west-end-lrt.jpg

The city is hosting public engagement sessions about the proposed western leg of the LRT. (City of Edmonton)

New federal funding in 2016 prompted the city to review its preliminary design, which was completed in 2013.

"That funding allows us to carry out updates to the preliminary design," said Eva Cheung, western Valley Line project manager.

"Lots of changes have happened on the west end so we want to take a look at the corridor, see what has changed and then see if there are any updates that need to be done."
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http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/valley-line-lrt-second-stage-west-edmonton-1.4172576
 
@Das Ponto What if it was timed to the signals instead of having priority? I believe that will be the case for most of the line. That's partly why elevating over the southeast portion was estimated to have so little effect.

I think everyone got spooked by the Metro Line at Kingsway/111 Ave. And that is a debacle, but that's not how this line will operate.
 
Construction Activities in 2017
EDMONTON – May 31, 2017 – This is a very active construction year for the Valley Line LRT. Work is progressing on roadway improvements needed to accommodate the train tracks all along the alignment, construction of the tunnels near Jasper Avenue and 95 Street, and on the construction of Tawatinâ Bridge (pronounced da-WAH-tin-now) in the river valley.

As with every construction site, the public is cautioned to use care near worksites. For the safety of workers and the public, access to construction sites by unauthorized personnel is strictly prohibited. Please obey all signs and directions of construction crew members.

Here are some highlights:
  • Millwoods (66 Street)
    • Noise walls are being installed along 66 Street. The walls east of the road will take approximately 6-8 weeks to complete. And the west side noise walls will complete in October 2017.
    • 66 Street construction for third party utility, paving and track work which will continue until 2020. Lane shifts and evening work expected.
    • Third-party pipeline work on west side of 66 Street at 29 Avenue, 31 Avenue and 41 Avenue will be ongoing throughout the year.
  • Gerry Wright Operations and Maintenance Facility (75 Street and 51 Avenue)
    • Construction of the building is underway. The foundation is currently being constructed. The building structure and roofing are also expected to be constructed this year.
  • Whitemud Drive to Argyll Road
    • On 75 Street, waterlines, install elevated guideway foundations, and complete LRT road construction. Work will continue until the end of the year.
    • Caisson installation for the Whitemud bridge is underway.
  • Argyll Road to Muttart Conservatory
    • 83 Street will have permanent single lane closures between Argyll Road and Whyte Avenue, with work anticipated for late-June 2017 for
      • third party utility work
      • new drainage
      • new sidewalks
      • re-paving of roads
    • Major roadwork in the area will continue throughout summer and over the next two years
    • Bonnie Doon traffic circle will be transformed into a 4-way intersection
    • A new retaining wall is being built for the stabilization of the Connors Road Hill
    • The short connector road between Connors Hill and Muttart Stop will be permanently closed.
  • North Saskatchewan River Valley (NSRV) and Tunnel
Louise McKinney Park
  • Trail closure and alternate route signs are in place, and new signs have been installed to indicate where trails come to a dead end.
  • The coffer cells are in place at the north end of Tawatinâ Bridge alignment and work is underway to construct the piers that will support the Bridge.
  • An access road will be constructed in 2018 to allow emergency and maintenance vehicles to access the Bridge and Tunnel when the line is operational. Some preparatory work is being done this year to install water lines and fire hydrants.
  • Work has begun on caissons on Grierson Hill to prepare for the breakthrough of the tunnels next year. This will take about six – eight weeks.
Henrietta Muir Edwards Park
  • Construction continues on the piers that will support the elevated guideway that links Tawatinâ Bridge and Muttart Stop. The guideway will go over 98 Avenue. After the piers are built, sections of the guideway will be lifted into place.
Tunnel Portal on 102 Avenue/Jasper Avenue
  • Work continues on both the outbound and inbound tunnels. Mass excavation in both tunnels should be completed the second quarter of 2018.
  • Downtown
Summer festivals that use Sir Winston Churchill Square as their venue will continue to do so this year. Construction on 102 Avenue near, and on, the Square will begin in August.

Noise, Vibration and Overnight Work

Overnight work may be required this year in sections along the alignment. Before that occurs, TransEd must be granted a permit exempting it from City of Edmonton Bylaw C14600. Residents in the affected areas will be notified before overnight work begins.

While noise and vibration are unavoidable in any construction project, TransEd is committed to minimizing noise and vibration impacts along the corridor during construction and operations. Please read the Noise and Vibration Fact Sheet, located on www.transedlrt.ca/resources for more information.

More information and site maps are available at www.transedlrt.ca or call the TransEd Information Booth at 780-224-0964.

http://transedlrt.ca/advisories/construction-activities-in-2017/
 
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