A city hall committee approved the final alignment of Calgary’s Green Line LRT on Wednesday, calling it the official end of the planning stage for the multi-billion dollar project.
The 46 kilometre line will include 28 stations and will run from the southeast community of Seton to 160 Avenue in the north.
Councillor Shane Keating said Wednesday’s development has been a long time coming.
“Today is not the light at the end of the tunnel, but it is actually the light at the opening of the tunnel”
The alignment, which was given the green light by the transportation and transit committee, includes four underground stations at a cost of about $25 million each.
A couple of stations were taken out of the plan – at 9 Avenue and 72 Avenue – because of the proximity of other stations to those locations.
The train will take an underground route through the downtown core and the Beltline, surfacing at 10 Avenue, near Olympic Way, and continuing into the southeast.
That concerns Councillor Evan Woolley, who wanted the train to be built closer to a proposed new arena.
WATCH BELOW: First stage of Calgary’s LRT green line unveiled
“I remain struggling and I guess it’s going to be part of that importance of how all of these pieces fit together,” he said.
“The costs are a little overwhelming, but you get one chance to get it right and I think that foresight is very important,” said Jamie Cooper, vice president of Remington Developments.
The Green Line will be built in stages, with the first section, from Shepard in the southeast to 16 Avenue North, expected to cost $4.65 billion.
The issue goes to city council on Monday and from there, if it’s approved, a case will be made for funding from the provincial government.
Construction is expected to begin in 2020, with the line operational by 2026.
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