News Release: Valley Line West LRT – Completion of elevated guideway superstructure marks major milestone

A major construction milestone has been achieved on the Valley Line West LRT project. All concrete segments are now in place for the elevated guideway along 87 Avenue. With that, Edmontonians can bid farewell to the massive, 400-tonne gantry crane that has been instrumental in completing this section of the LRT line. The gantry crane will be dismantled over the coming weeks.

The elevated guideway is a 2-kilometre stretch of the Valley Line West between 182 Street and 163 Street that will connect the West Edmonton Mall and Misericordia Hospital Stations.

Through modular construction, the gantry crane hoists 60-tonne, pre-cast concrete segments into place. Segments are joined together with a high-strength epoxy and then pulled tight by high-strength tensioning cables, and carefully placed onto the piers below.

“Pre-casting the segments off site increases quality since it’s built in a controlled environment. This approach reduces the amount of time to install the spans on site and therefore reduces impacts to the community,” said Zane Lazerus, Senior Construction Engineer, Marigold Infrastructure Partners.

It takes a crew of 14 people to operate the gantry crane. Highly skilled tradespeople from all over the world have come to Edmonton to operate this specialized piece of equipment.

“While the majority of the crew is local, it has been supplemented by subject matter experts with extensive experience in segmental bridge construction on projects around the world,” Lazerus said.

“The skyline in west Edmonton has been transformed forever, and this key section of the LRT will provide connectivity to West Edmonton Mall and the Misericordia Community Hospital,” said Brian Latte, Director, Valley Line West. “Once in use, the guideway will help minimize traffic disruptions on the busy roadways beneath by allowing the LRT to pass over major intersections and infrastructure.”

While the elevated guideway structure is complete, there is still work to be done to finish the guideway, including the Overhead Catenary System (OCS), walkways, railings and the West Edmonton Mall and Misericordia Hospital elevated stations.

It will take approximately five weeks to dismantle the gantry crane and put it into storage before it leaves Edmonton to start its next job. It’s not yet known where the crane is headed next.

Valley Line West construction will continue to impact Edmontonians, particularly those who live, work and use services along the alignment. The City and Marigold appreciate everyone’s continued patience as this transformational project is built.

Target construction completion for the overall Valley Line West project is anticipated in 2028, followed by an extensive testing and commissioning phase before the line can open to the public.

Facts:

· The gantry crane weighs 400 tonnes (about the weight of 65 African elephants)

· 46 Y-piers hold up the guideway, with six to 15 segments of concrete between each of the piers

· The pre-cast concrete segments were constructed in Blackfalds, Alberta

· Construction of the elevated guideway began in fall 2021

· Before being used on the Valley Line West, the gantry crane was used to build some of the infrastructure for Expo 2020 in Dubai. From there, it was shipped to Vancouver and travelled by train to Edmonton

For more information: edmonton.ca/ValleyLineWest Marigoldinfra.ca

Media contact: Jennifer Sheehan

Communications Manager

Marigold Infrastructure Partners

587-372-8645