Bechtel, part of TransEd Partners, a consortium also comprising Bombardier, EllisDon and Fengate Capital Management, announced today the groundbreaking for the Edmonton Valley Line Light Rail Transit – Stage 1 project in Alberta, Canada. The TransEd team achieved financial close in February to finance, design, supply vehicles, build, operate, and maintain Stage 1 for the City of Edmonton. The Valley Line LRT is designed to meet the demands of Canada’s second fastest-growing city that is expected to increase in size by 50 percent by 2040. Today’s groundbreaking event was attended by the mayor of Edmonton and Canadian state ministers.
“From the start of this project, Bechtel and TransEd Partners have enjoyed a very positive partnership with the City of Edmonton and the community,” said Larry Melton, Bechtel’s design-build project director for TransEd Partners. “We are looking forward to delivering a safe, efficient, and sustainable transit line that will support the creation of hundreds of local jobs during peak construction and help drive economic growth for the region”.
The Edmonton Valley Line LRT- Stage 1 will connect Mill Woods to downtown Edmonton with about 13 km of light rail transit. This stage includes 11 stops, an elevated station incorporating a transit centre and Park & Ride, and a transfer point to the existing Capital Line and Metro Line LRT at Churchill Square.
The Stage 1 project is being delivered using a Public-Private Partnership (P3) procurement model and was the first win by Bechtel’s new, dedicated P3 business line, which combines Bechtel’s extensive design-build experience and long history as an equity investor and developer of projects. Bechtel is the lead partner for the design and construction of the project. The company also helped to secure financing and will assist in the provision of the operations and maintenance during the service period.
A global leader in the rail industry, Bechtel has successfully delivered some of the largest and most complex rail projects in the world, including the Channel Tunnel, High Speed 1, San Francisco BART system, the Dulles Metrorail Extension Phase 1, and the Athens Metro. The company is currently working on the Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension, the Riyadh Metro and London’s Crossrail.
