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It’s time for Edmonton’s changing of the seasons: winter to construction.
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Construction crews will be working on about 250 projects across Edmonton this summer, totaling an estimated $1.9 billion in funding, according to city officials.
Because 2022 is the final year in the City of Edmonton’s current four-year budget cycle, there will actually be a bit less work underway than previous years, when there was work on 270 to 280 projects. But orange pylons and road signs will be up for construction on more than 110 kilometers of roadways and sidewalks, 11 kilometers of alleys and 10 neighborhood renewal projects.
Adam Laughlin, deputy city manager of integrated infrastructure services at the City of Edmonton, said Friday that Edmontonians will see ongoing work on several major projects, including the Yellowhead Trail freeway conversion, the Terwillegar Drive expansion and LRT construction.
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“The construction work we’re doing this year is part of the connection to our future and the city we are building to welcome another one million individuals,” he said.
He added that the construction work provides jobs for 13,000 workers and contracts for 300 companies either local to Edmonton or based in the city.
Laughlin gave details on upcoming summer construction in the middle of 103 Avenue between 100 Street and 101 Street Downtown, where a streetscape renewal project is currently underway to add sidewalk and parking improvements, as well as more benches and greenery. The project is expected to be finished this fall, and access to the road will be reopened.
Other long-term work is also ongoing. Now that funding is in place for the first phase of the LRT Capital Line south, from Century Park Station to Ellerslie Road, early works construction is going ahead for 2022.
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This will be the first major construction season for the Valley Line West, which will continue for five or six years. That project will extend the LRT from Downtown to Lewis Farms in the west end.
“The utility work and some of the early work on Valley Line West, there’s major adjustments to traffic patterns there,” Laughlin said. “And then more locally, what you see is local adjustments to accommodate the different movements — auto, bike and walk.”
The Valley Line southeast, meanwhile, is expected to open this summer after being delayed multiple times. Edmontonians can expect the road detours that have been in place during construction to be removed as the work winds down.
The City of Edmonton has a traffic disruption map available on its website to help plan your way around construction detours.
Other major projects underway this year include the Yellowhead Trail freeway conversion, scheduled to be finished in 2027, and the 50 Street road widening and grade separation, expected to be done by the end of 2026.
A significant renewal project on 124 Street, between 109A Avenue and 118 Avenue, also starts in 2022. There will be parking and driving disruptions starting May 24, and work is expected to run for two construction seasons.
The City of Edmonton has a full list of ongoing construction projects available online.
Twitter: @meksmith