EDMONTON — As tens of thousands of people prepare to head downtown to take in the much-anticipated Red Bull Crashed Ice event in Edmonton this weekend, the city plans to periodically shut down LRT service for signal testing.
Edmonton Transit buses will replace all LRT service at times on Saturday and all day Sunday to allow for signal testing on the new Metro Line.
The entire LRT system — from Clareview to Century Park — will be shut down from the start of service Saturday morning. City officials say LRT service will be restored by 12:30 p.m., though, in time for the Crashed Ice event on Saturday.
City officials say extra trains and buses will run during the event. LRT service will remain open until the end of service, which is around 1:30 a.m. Sunday.
While they recognize it’s an inconvenience, city officials say they are balancing a number of priorities and are working to move forward as quickly as possible with the major infrastructure projects underway in Edmonton.
READ MORE: 5 ways to take in Red Bull Crashed Ice in Edmonton
On Sunday, there will be no LRT service whatsoever.
Bus route 505 will replace LRT service Saturday morning and all day Sunday. Buses will stop at every station between Clareview and Century Park, running on a five-minute frequency Saturday and a seven to eight-minute frequency Sunday.
Test trains will run on the street-level portions of the Metro Line and the Capital Line during the shutdown. Pedestrians and motorists are asked to obey the traffic signals and signs.
LRT service will run as usual beginning Monday morning.
The signalling system on the Metro Line has been a major issue in delaying the project. The Metro Line was originally scheduled to open in April 2014. While an exact date is yet to be set, city officials are “cautiously optimistic” the line to NAIT will be ready for passengers sometime this spring.
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