Metro Line (Edmonton)
| Metro Line | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Metro Line approaching Downtown Edmonton
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| Overview | |||
| Type | Light rail | ||
| Locale | Edmonton | ||
| Termini |
NAIT Health Sciences/Jubilee |
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| Stations | 14 | ||
| Operation | |||
| Opened | September 6, 2015 | ||
| Operator(s) | Edmonton Transit System | ||
| Character | Mostly at-grade with underground sections in downtown. | ||
| Depot(s) |
D.L. MacDonald Yard Northwest LRT Yard (proposed) |
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| Technical | |||
| Number of tracks | 2 | ||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) | ||
| Operating speed | 50 km/h (31 mph) | ||
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The Metro Line is a light rail transit line on the Edmonton LRT system, that operates from northwest Edmonton to southwest Edmonton scheduled to have begun operation by early 2014 but instead opened on September 6, 2015, at a reduced speed and frequency. The line uses 3.3 kilometres (2.1 mi) of new track, three new stations, and eleven stations on the existing Capital Line. The cost of the project is $665 million, jointly funded by the City of Edmonton, Province of Alberta, and the Government of Canada. It is the first new line that is not an extension of the existing line. The line is expected to add 13,200 riders per weekday. A trip from NAIT station to Churchill is expected to take nine minutes. A number of roadworks are under construction or completed to revitalize the surrounding community. An extension to the northwest city limits has completed conceptual design, and a further extension is proposed through the city of St. Albert on Highway 2/St. Albert Trail.
In spring 2007, the funding for a concept plan and preliminary engineering was commissioned, and the City approved the plan the next year. In 2008, during construction of the Epcor Tower, the City ordered that the tunnel section below the tower be dug before the tower was completed, this saved $140 million from digging after the tower was built. The remainder of the tunnel, under Downtown Edmonton, was bored, and completed in November 2012. In 2009 the City approved the relocation of funds from the Gorman extension to the Metro Line, as the City felt northwest was a higher priority. In 2010 the City began preparation work, including utility relocation. The permanent closure of 105 Avenue between 102 Street and 105 Street was performed so MacEwan station could be built. 105 Street was permanently closed to vehicular traffic between 107 Avenue and 108 Avenue to allow the line to continue along the existing road corridor, which alleviated the need to widen the corridor and remove some existing trees. 104 Street was closed between 108 Avenue and Kingsway in a similar fashion.
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