Construction of two projects to extend the City of Calgary's Light Rapid Transit system is now well underway.
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The City of Calgary operates a commuter rail system known to users as the C-Train. It is constructed mostly at grade level. Significant portions of the right of way and numerous stations are located within the medians of divided streets.
Photo 1 shows a sign announcing the Northeast LRT extension. This sign faces north bound travellers and may be found on 36 Street NE immediately north of the intersection at 39 Ave NE.
The NE extension will extend the Northeast line from its current terminus at Whitehorn Station north along the median of 36th Street NE to a new station adjacent to the Westwinds Industrial Area. The new McKnight-Westwinds station will incorporate a Park and Ride lot and a storage and maintenance facility for LRT equipment.
Photo 2 looks south along 36 Street NE and shows the current end of track at 39 Ave. NE, a traffic-light controlled intersection. The visible three-car train is located at the current end of track. The Whitehorn Station is visible immediately behind it.
The NE extension crosses McKnight Boulevard, a busy expressway. To avoid a level crossing of McKnight, a separate project to provide a fully grade-separated highway interchange at McKnight and 36th Street NE is also under construction. Photo 3 shows the McKnight Blvd. overpass as it appeared on May 5, 2006. 36th Street NE and the LRT right of way will pass underneath the new structure.
The second project will extend the Northwest line along the median of Crowchild Trail from Dalhousie Station to Crowfoot Centre. The current end of track on the NW line may be seen in Photo 4. Dalhousie Station is visible in the background behind the trains stored on the track at the end of the line. Photo 5 provides a close-up view of Dalhousie Station showing its location within the median of Crowchild Trail, an eight-lane expressway at this point.
More information about these projects is found in a document titled "Keeping Calgary Moving: Transportation Infrastructure 2005 & Beyond". This document describes the City's ambitious $1.5 billion transportation plan. It is currently available (2 MB) on the City of Calgary's website at www.calgary.ca/docgallery/bu/transportation_infrastructure/keeping_calgary_moving.pdf. However, to ensure the document will continue to be available for historical research, a copy has been saved by ExLaw . |
