97 Street to be closed for Edmonton Chinatown gate construction
Posted August 20, 2026 9:49 am.
Last Updated August 20, 2026 9:47 am.
Construction of Edmonton’s new Chinatown gate is leading to the closure of 97 Street.
The street will be temporarily closed to vehicle traffic between Jasper Avenue and Okîsikow Way for about two weeks. Pedestrians will still have access to both sides of 97 Street.
The City of Edmonton says crews will install the steel structure of the new Chinatown gate along 97 Street.
The work is expected to begin Monday, with construction taking place every day during daytime hours.
Following the two-week full closure, that same section of 97 Street will be closed overnight – from 8p.m. to 6 a.m. – for an additional two weeks while crews install scaffolding and hoarding.
“Key components have been preassembled to speed up installation and significantly reduce the number of nighttime closures required afterward,” the city said in a news release.
Construction on the gate is expected to wrap up in 2027. The $8.7 million project hasn’t been without controversy – notably due to that price tag.
The Chinese community association previously working with the City of Edmonton on the replacement gate withdrew from the project in June, saying part of those funds could have been used towards more pressing issues in Chinatown, such as safety, business recovery, and sanitation.
The original Harbin Gate, gifted to Edmonton in 1987, was removed in 2017 for LRT construction.
