Edmonton, Alberta, will be opening the latest extension to its light rail transit system in late June, when the 3.3-kilometer (2-mile) Northwest Line is extended from Churchill Station, in downtown Edmonton, to the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology.
The extension is the first stage of a planned LRT expansion to the adjoining town of St. Albert, and represents the first LRT branch added to the original line, which opened in 1978 as the first modern LRT line in North America and has had several additions put in place over the years.
The line is expected to add 13,200 riders to existing ridership. The extension being opened in June traverses through a tunnel between Churchill and MacEwan stations, and on center reservation on city streets from there to its terminus.
Estimated total project cost is C$755 million (US$684 million), with Edmonton paying C$158 million, Alberta province contributing C$497 million, and the federal government supplying C$100 million.