Ground was officially broken on Edmonton’s Valley Line West LRT route on Friday.

More of a photo opportunity than true start of the project’s construction, the groundbreaking was mostly a celebration of the work that started more than a decade ago to bring west Edmontonians’ wish for better rail transit to fruition.

“I’ve been attending the meetings as someone who lives right on the route since 2007 and it’s exciting,” said an emotional Andrew Knack, who serves the Nakota Isga Ward in west Edmonton and the city’s transit system advisory board.

“I love our bus system. It’s great. I took it to get here, that’s why I’m late – sorry, everyone,” he continued. “It was a great example of why – I’m not late because of the buses, I’m late because of how it’s designed. So if you think about the LRT, it’s going to have that designated right of way that allows residents from here to get into the downtown, to get into other parts of the city, quicker than any other method of transportation.”

The 14-kilometre line will run from 102 Street near Churchill Square to Lewis Farms, with 14 stops along the way, including at West Edmonton Mall and Misericordia Hospital.

Most of the route will be street level – for greater accessibility, city officials say – except at the hospital and mall.

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