The ribbon has been cut for the West LRT leg and starting Monday the line will transport commuters from the west edge of the city into the downtown core.
Among the dignitaries at Saturday morning’s celebration were Premier Alison Redford, Mayor Naheed Nenshi and councilors Richard Pootmans and John Mar.
Redfordhad high praise for new LRT leg which was one of the city’s largest infrastructure projects, at a cost of $1.4 billion.
“The West LRT line is a shining example of our government’s commitment to connecting residents with the people and services important to them, and to supporting municipalities as they plan for the future,” says Redford. “Together, we are building better communities.”
“I want to especially thank the project team and all The City of Calgary employees and contractors who made this project happen,” says Nenshi. “It is the biggest public works project in our history and an amazing accomplishment.”
The new line stretches 8.2 kilometres from downtown to the 69 Street station. The trip takes approximately 12 minutes with stops at six stations. 25,000 passengers are expected to ride the West LRT leg each day.
As part of Saturday’s celebration, the public was permitted to ride the new line for free between 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. with free hot chocolate, fireworks and family entertainment at the stations. Thousands of people joined in the festivities despite a temperature hovering near minus 15.
