City of Edmonton gearing up for LRT maintenance and revitalization projects

Starting on Sunday, the City of Edmonton will begin major LRT maintenance and revitalization projects.

“Edmonton’s 40-plus year-old LRT network needs maintenance and upgrades to ensure it continues serving Edmontonians reliably and efficiently for the long-term,” a news release from the city read.

The projects include closing the McKernan/Belgravia LRT Station for several months, a partial LRT line closure over the Victoria Day weekend and pedestrian crossing upgrades at the Health Sciences Station.

With the decrease in ridership due to the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic, the city said it’s possible there may be opportunities for some of this work to be done more quickly than expected.

McKernan/Belgravia LRT Station

The McKernan/Belgravia LRT Station will be closed from May 3 until July to passengers as the city performs platform repairs and tile replacement. Trains will continue to pass through the station but will not stop to pick up or drop off passengers.

Riders can use South Campus or Health Sciences to board and exit the LRT or bus routes 4 and 106.

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“We continually do our best to minimize disruptions for our passengers. A full station closure condenses the construction schedule while allowing us to continue operating longer trains to promote physical distancing between passengers,” Craig McKeown, director of LRT operations and maintenance, said.

1:45 A behind-the-scenes look at the Valley Line LRT project

McKeown added the McKernan/Belgravia station sees the lowest passenger boardings of all 18 LRT stations.

On May 4, after 9 a.m. daily, Capital/Metro Line trains will run every 15 minutes and Metro Line trains will only run between Health Sciences and NAIT until McKernan/Belgravia reopens.

Stadium LRT Station 

In mid-May, redevelopment work will begin on the Stadium LRT Station.

Improvements will include an additional platform, new heated shelters, public washrooms and a security office.

The entire station building, including the roof canopy, will also be renovated and the underground concourse will be removed.

“With these changes, passengers will enjoy an improved customer experience, including upgraded lighting and a more comfortable waiting area,” the city’s news release read.

Work is expected to be complete in January 2022.

What would that mean for Edmonton Eskimos fans looking to use the LRT to get to and from any games before that date? The city said the team working at that station will “do its best to minimize impacts for transit passengers.”

1:32 Edmonton LRT operator sings to passengers

Health Sciences Station

Pedestrian crossing upgrades will be taking place at the Health Sciences Station near the University of Alberta Hospital throughout three weekends in May. As such, Capital Line trains will only run every 15 minutes on May 9-10, 15-17 and 23-24 to allow crews to work on the crossing at the north entrance of the station.

On May 9-10 and 23-24, Metro Line trains will only run between NAIT and Grandin stations.

The crossing and the north entrance to Health Sciences Station will be closed from June 19-29.

Partial closure between Clareview and Churchill

Over the May long weekend, May 16-18, LRT service will be suspended between Clareview and Churchill Stations and will be replaced with bus service. The LRT will continue to run between Century Park and NAIT every 15 minutes.

Platform tile replacement will also begin at Coliseum Station that weekend.