CLARE CLANCY Feds pitch in for 50 Street fixes
PM announces $40M to eliminate level rail crossing north of freeway
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced $39.8 million Tuesday to build a railway underpass and add lanes to 50 Street, addressing one of the city’s worst traffic headaches.
The project includes widening 50 Street to six lanes between 76 and 90 avenues and building the underpass at the Canadian Pacific Railway crossing north of Sherwood Park Freeway. It will also create new sidewalks and shared use paths.
“For years, the 50 Street railway crossing has been part of an essential trade corridor,” Trudeau said in Edmonton. “We’ve all seen the traffic backed up as the trains seemingly go on for hours ... There’s a lot of lost time.”
The province previously promised $28.3 million, with the city paying the balance on the $87.5-million project, which is planned for completion in 2023. City funding will be outlined in the next four-year capital budget slated for October, said Coun. Ben Henderson.
The crossing was the city’s top priority for grade separation, he told a small crowd at Edmonton City Hall. “With ongoing development along this area ... traffic volumes and congestion are going to continue to increase.”
Trudeau was also joined by federal Infrastructure Minister Amarjeet Sohi and Transport Minister Marc Garneau.
Mayor Don Iveson posted a video on Twitter from Singapore, using some apparently colourful language to express his approval of the plan.
“Now we won’t have to wait for that (expletive) train anymore,” he said with a horn bleeping out the word.
The federal cash comes from the National Trade Corridors Fund, which will dole out $2 billion over 11 years across Canada, said Garneau.
“The fund’s main purpose it to eliminate bottlenecks in our supply chain,” he said, adding the 50 Street crossing fits the bill. “If we can’t get our goods to customers quickly and reliably, we will lose business to other suppliers.”
Sohi said the infrastructure improvements will increase productivity. “Being stuck at a rail crossing means that families are spending time away from their kids, or being late for work,” he said.
Henderson said the project is currently in its design phase and there will be further consultations in June.
On Tuesday afternoon in Calgary, Trudeau was joined by Sohi and Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi at Stampede Station to make a second infrastructure announcement. He said Ottawa would put forward $1.53 billion for the first stage of the Green Line.
He also told reporters that the federal government was working hard behind the scenes to get the Trans Mountain pipeline built.
“Let’s be honest about these things. I don’t think there is anything that I can say that would reassure some of my critics who have such little faith in my government getting anything done for Alberta,” Trudeau said.
“I don’t think there’s any magic phrase I can say that will have critics and skeptics put down their criticism and say, ‘You know what? The prime minister reassured me today.’ ”
As Trudeau spoke, a small group of protesters were heard shouting “Build KM” and “Build that pipe.”
The $7.4-billion Trans Mountain project would triple the flow of heavy oil products from Alberta to Burnaby, B.C.
Texas-based Kinder Morgan has warned it will pull the plug by month’s end if hurdles to expanding the pipeline through British Columbia remain.
Trudeau would not say whether he had meetings planned with any Kinder Morgan executives while he was in town. The company’s Canadian division was to hold its annual shareholder meeting in Calgary on Wednesday.