BUILDING THE GREEN LINE REQUIRES LOCAL EXPERTISE
By Darshpreet Bhatti, CEO Green Line
Proposed concepts for elevated and non-elevated stations.
The Green Line LRT is the largest infra structure project in our city’s history. It will play an important role in shaping the fu ture of Calgary as both a transit system and platform for long-term city building. Phase 1 of the Green Line runs from Shepard (126 Avenue S.E.) to Eau Claire connect ing communities from southeast Calgary to downtown and the broader transit net work. At 18 kilometers, Phase 1 will be twice as long as any other stretch of LRT built in Calgary at one time and will include 13 sta tions, multiple LRT bridges, tunneled and elevated sections, and three Park-and-Ride lots. It will also include a 352,000-squarefoot maintenance and storage facility at Shepard for the new fleet of low-floor Light
brace it. Experience has shown that deliv
brought forward two packages to relocate
ering megaprojects in Canada brings great
utilities in the Beltline and Downtown and
opportunities for local contractors and the
are considering a work package to address
labour force, who serve as the backbone of
Green Line interfaces with CP Rail along
these projects.
the Phase 1 alignment. Again, these are all
Our early works program, which began
projects that depend on our local construc
Rail Vehicles (LRVs), a test rack, repairs
in 2018, demonstrates our commitment
bays, and room for future expansion.
to local industry by providing opportuni
When the province announced their
Phase 1 construction will likely be led
ties and putting Calgarians to work. With
approval and funding and Prime Minister
by a large consortium which may include
more than $300 million dollars in utility,
Trudeau reaffirmed the federal govern
international partners with previous expe
sidewalk, road and pathway upgrades, this
ment’s commitment in July 2021, it was a
rience in projects of comparable size and
program is a significant investment in in
pivotal point for the project. Since then,
complexity. However, most of the actual
frastructure renewal along the Green Line
we have announced the procurement of a
work will be performed by local trades. It
alignment.
new fleet of 28 low-floor LRVs, recruited
tion industry.
is an important distinction as Phase 1 will
As an example, through the current early
an experienced leadership team and began
not preclude the local industry; it will em
works being undertaken, we have recently
construction on the multi-year Beltline and
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Calgary Construction Association
