This $2.67-billion, 14-kilometre light-rail extension is the second stage of the City of Edmonton’s Valley Line. The design-build-finance project, which entered its RFP phase and reached financial close during the pandemic in 2020, bundles together design, system integration and construction into one contract. It also is the first to embed a community benefits agreement for a major capital project in Edmonton. With its 14 street-level stops and two elevated stations, the extension will help connect city neighbourhoods and reduce congestion, with LRT stops downtown, at all major city hospitals and the city’s largest tourist attraction, West Edmonton Mall. Once the west line is operational, both stages of the Valley Line will operate contiguously with no transfer points or perceived break in service for passengers despite the fact both are being delivered using different P3 consortiums, noted the awards committee.