City of Edmonton, Alberta, awards design-build contract for Capital Line South LRT Extension project
The city of Edmonton, Alberta, has awarded a Design-Build contract for Phase 1 of the Capital Line South Extension project to Capital Line Design-Build Ltd.
After the city completed negotiations and formally awarded the contract, it was decided that Capital Line Design-Build Ltd., a member of the Ledcor Group of Companies, will work with AECOM as its design partner. During the coming months, the Ledcor team will begin detailed design with major construction along 111 St., which is anticipated to begin in 2025.
Phase 1 of the project is a 4.5-kilometer (2.8-mile), high-floor light-rail transit (LRT) extension along the west side of 111 St. and includes:
- An LRT underpass at 23 Ave.
- Two bridges (one across Blackmud Creek and one across Anthony Henday Drive)
- Two stations (Twin Brooks station and Heritage Valley North station connecting to the Heritage Valley Transit Centre and Park and Ride)
- An Operations and Maintenance Facility (south of Anthony Henday Drive)
- Light Rail Vehicles
“Our city is experiencing rapid growth,” said Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi. “As more people choose to call Edmonton home, we need to respond to the added pressure on our transportation network. The Capital Line South Extension will help improve sustainable mobility options as we grow to a city of two million by increasing ridership capacity and providing additional transportation options to communities in south Edmonton.”
Ledcor was selected as the preferred bidder in April 2024. Contract negotiations between the city and the preferred bidder occurred throughout April and May to ensure a robust project agreement was in place.
“The Capital Line South Extension project is a critical addition to our LRT network,” said Craig Walbaum, City of Edmonton acting deputy city manager, integrated infrastructure services. “This project has been many years in the making and delivers on the city plan goals of improving how we move people quickly, efficiently and sustainably along our transportation corridors. We look forward to working with Ledcor to bring this transformational infrastructure to life.”
“Building on Ledcor’s 75-year legacy of serving Edmontonians, we are thrilled to be chosen by the city of Edmonton, with our design partner AECOM, to construct this vital new phase of public transit, which will serve the city's growing population for many decades to come”, said Brad Mytko, senior vice president infrastructure, Ledcor Group. “With passion and dedication, we will deliver a successful project, ensuring safety every step of the way.”
An economic assessment estimates the extension will generate 9,500 full-time jobs and C$1 billion (US$727 million) in wages and salaries through construction, operations and maintenance. The project is also projected to generate C$88 million (US$64 million) in tax revenue for Alberta and C$211 million (US$153 million) for the rest of Canada over 30 years.
The C$1.34 billion (US$10 million) project has funding commitments from the Government of Canada, the Government of Alberta and the City of Edmonton. Over the coming months, the city will continue to advocate to funding partners for additional funding contributions to help ease future tax implications for the community.
