City official ‘satisfied’ after 70% of construction projects completed this year

A deputy city manager in Edmonton is pleased with the number of construction projects that were completed this year, as construction season in the city comes to an end.

“We’re 70 per cent on schedule, over 92 per cent on budget,” said Adam Laughlin, deputy city manager of integrated infrastructure services. “So from a volume perspective, 300 projects over 70 per cent on schedule, we’re satisfied.”

But while most projects are on track, the city still can’t commit to opening the delayed Valley Line Southeast LRT by the end of 2023.

“I think it’s premature to commit to that,” said Laughlin.

The city is expecting a report in the coming weeks from builder TransEd on how they plan to deal with 21 cracked piers that sent the project off the rails indefinitely.

“We’re frustrated but I will also add that isn’t an impact financially Edmontonians are going to have to bear,” added Laughlin. “This is all on TransEd.”

WATCH: Edmontonians unhappy with Valley Line Southeast LRT delays

Overall, work has at times transformed city streets and sidewalks into a maze, creating commuter chaos. But Laughlin insists it’s short-term pain for long-term gain.

“I appreciate their patience, but it is the nature of a city of a million people where you have thousands of kilometres of lane that need to be renewed, sidewalks that need to be installed, bike lanes that need to be cared for,” he said.

While construction season has officially ended, some work is expected to continue this fall and winter.

As for what kind of construction projects Edmontonians can expect in 2023, Laughlin is hopeful officials will get the green light on those plans soon.

“This has been a very ambitious infrastructure agenda set by council for this four years, and coming up shortly we’ll be discussing the next four years with council – an equally ambitious infrastructure agenda,” he said.