Marking another milestone in Edmonton's largest infrastructure project to date, the first of two Valley Line LRT bridge spans over Whitemud Drive was lifted into place over the weekend. TransEd, the consortium constructing the line via a Public-Private Partnership (P3), announced the completion of the lift in the early hours of Saturday, February 23.

Moving the first of two spans over Whitemud Drive, image courtesy TransEd

The maneuver required closing one direction of busy Whitemud Drive overnight so that a Self-Propelled Modular Trailer (SPMT) by Mammoet could move the 600-ton, 2-metre bridge into place, under the watchful eyes of dozens of operators and technicians.

Valley Line span in place over Whitemud Drive, image courtesy TransEd

TransEd captured time-lapse video of the installation:

The second span over the Whitemud was installed early Sunday morning.

Though parts of construction of the new low-floor LRT system are now facing delays - particularly around the site of the Tawatinâ Bridge over the North Saskatchewan River, where a mysterious concrete mass found beneath the river set back construction crews by several months, as well as on 95 Avenue where challenging soil conditions are also reportedly also setting back some timelines - the project continues to progress visibly.

SkyriseEdmonton will be watching for more updates on the Valley Line LRT as it progresses. More information and photos about the project can be found in the project database. What are your thoughts about the Valley Line? Leave a comment below or join the conversation in our discussion forum.