3 minute read
Building the Green Line requires local expertise
By Darshpreet Bhatti, CEO Green Line
The Green Line LRT is the largest infrastructure project in our city’s history. It will play an important role in shaping the future of Calgary as both a transit system and platform for longterm city building. Phase 1 of the Green Line runs from Shepard (126 Avenue S.E.) to Eau Claire connecting communities from southeast Calgary to downtown and the broader transit network.
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 stations, multiple LRT bridges, tunneled and elevated sections, and three ParkandRide lots. It will also include a 352,000squarefoot maintenance and storage facility at Shepard for the new fleet of lowfloor Light Rail Vehicles (LRVs), a test rack, repairs bays, and room for future expansion.
Phase 1 construction will likely be led by a large consortium which may include international partners with previous experience in projects of comparable size and complexity. However, most of the actual work will be performed by local trades. It is an important distinction as Phase 1 will not preclude the local industry; it will em
Proposed concepts for elevated and non-elevated stations.
brace it. Experience has shown that delivering megaprojects in Canada brings great opportunities for local contractors and the labour force, who serve as the backbone of these projects.
Our early works program, which began in 2018, demonstrates our commitment to local industry by providing opportunities and putting Calgarians to work. With more than $300 million dollars in utility, sidewalk, road and pathway upgrades, this program is a significant investment in infrastructure renewal along the Green Line alignment.
As an example, through the current early works being undertaken, we have recently brought forward two packages to relocate utilities in the Beltline and Downtown and are considering a work package to address Green Line interfaces with CP Rail along the Phase 1 alignment. Again, these are all projects that depend on our local construction industry.
When the province announced their approval and funding and Prime Minister Trudeau reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment in July 2021, it was a pivotal point for the project. Since then, we have announced the procurement of a new fleet of 28 lowfloor LRVs, recruited an experienced leadership team and began construction on the multiyear Beltline and
2000 - 2020 20 YEARS
of professional service
Commercial, institutional, and multi-family construction Construction management Design build
Trimen Electric Ltd. is a licensed and bonded electrical contracting company that has been in business in Calgary and surrounding area since 2000.
www.trimenelectric. com www.trimenelectric.com
#11, 4351 - 104 Avenue S.E. Calgary, Alberta T2C 5C6
E: info@trimenelectric.com
T: 403-723-0003
F: 403-201-1418 Downtown utility relocation project.
On March 31, 2022, we released the Phase 1 Request for Qualifications (RFQ). In line with City of Calgary Council direction, Green Line will be procured as a DesignBuildFinance project with a Development Phase. This procurement strategy allows the Green Line Board to select a development partner in early 2023 following the Request for Proposal stage, from the RFQ shortlisted candidates. The development partner will work collaboratively with the Green Line team on design progression providing flexibility to innovate, optimize, and manage cost, risk, and schedule.
The inclusion of the Development Phase is also expected to allow for additional long lead procurement items and work packages to be issued earlier which will further reduce project risks and continue support for the local construction industry.
We are looking at opportunities to ensure that local companies are able to offer their services on Green Line and are committed to facilitating industry involvement as we move through procurement. Green Line remains a project for Calgarians, built by Calgarians.
The City and Green Line Board are committed and confident that we will be successful in delivering this transformational project. Like other world class cities, Calgary has and will continue to build challenging infrastructure projects by embracing the local industry that has already served us so well. n
