The City of Edmonton is preparing to launch the procurement process for the design and construction of the Valley Line West LRT Project (“The Project”), with the release of an RFQ in early March of 2019.
The Project will include civil and structure works, systems, and light rail vehicle supply and will be procured using as a Design-Build-Finance delivery model. Light rail vehicle supplier companies will be designated as non-exclusive suppliers for the purposes of the project procurement process, meaning no one supplier can be exclusive to a proponent team. As such, light rail vehicle suppliers will not be evaluated as part of the RFQ.
It is of critical importance that the Valley Line West integrate successfully with the Valley Line Southeast currently under construction. The Valley Line will operate as one line with continuous service between Mill Woods and Lewis Farms. Operations and Maintenance of the Valley Line West are not part of the Design-Build-Finance procurement, and will be procured at a later date.
Project Funding Status
The total budget (including engineering, land etc.), is $2.6 Billion. On November 1, 2018, the Government of Alberta committed $1.04 billion to the Project. The Federal Government is evaluating the Project Business Case under the “Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program” funding program, with confirmation of funding approval anticipated by Spring 2019.
The Valley Line
The Valley Line is the largest single infrastructure project in the history of Edmonton. It consists of a 27 km urban-style, low-floor LRT line that will operate between Mill Woods in southeast Edmonton and Lewis Farms in west Edmonton. It will be separate from the City’s existing high floor LRT system. This line will feature modern, low-floor, light-rail vehicles running segregated along existing streets and integrating with Edmonton’s surrounding neighbourhoods.
The Valley Line was separated into two stages for project delivery: Valley Line Southeast (between 102 Street downtown and Mill Woods Town Centre) and Valley Line West (between 102 Street downtown and Lewis Farms Transit Centre).
Valley Line West LRT Project Overview
- The Valley Line West DBF will include the following scope elements:
- 14 km of double track
- 14 street-level stops and two elevated stations (Misericordia Hospital and West Edmonton Mall)
- Two new bridges on 102 Avenue over Groat Road and 87 Avenue over Anthony Henday Drive
- 1.6 km of elevated guideway
- Transit centre at West Edmonton Mall
- Park & ride facility at Lewis Farms
- Vehicle storage facility at Lewis Farms
- Expansion of the Gerry Wright operations and maintenance facility
- Low-floor urban vehicles, including step-free boarding
- Guideway / Track
- Roads / drainage / landscaping
- LRT signals
- Traffic signals
- Communications / security systems
- Train control system
- Traction power
- Overhead catenary systems