The Green Line LRT has now received final approval of its 46 km route, marking the end of the planning stage for the most extensive and costliest transit project Calgary has ever seen.
While the completion of the line is still decades away, the Transportation and Transit committee said the whole 28 stop route would be built from 160 Avenue in the north to Seton in the south.
Two stops were taken out because they ended up being too close to others in the final plan.
But the final report doesn’t come without some uncomfortable details to iron out. It says 438 properties would need to be bought out to build the full line.
The first stage of the Green Line, about 20 km running from 16 Avenue to Sheppard will be built first at a cost of over $4.6B.
That section, the longest segment of LRT built in Calgary’s history, includes the most expensive portion of the project that involves tunneling in the downtown core.
Three tunnels will be built during the first stage, including a four kilometre tunnel from 20 Avenue N. to Macleod Trail.
The first stage will also see 14 new stations and three park-and-ride facilities along the line.
There is concern from city councillors that all the money hasn’t been found yet.
The city and federal government will be putting up $1.5B each, but the province hasn’t pledged any money at all yet.
Planners hope that once the plan goes for final approval on Monday, the province will agree to fund the remaining amount.
Construction on Stage 1 is scheduled to begin in 2020 and will take six years to complete.
Further details about the City of Calgary's Green Line can be found on the city's website.
