The project team considered five options, ranging from the full tunnel to a variety of combinations with elevated and at grade routes.
The Green Line LRT will connect from the Inglewood/Ramsay area in the southeast to Crescent Heights/Mount Pleasant in the north, via the Beltline and downtown core. The transition from downtown to the north segment of the line requires the LRT to cross the Bow River to connect with Centre Street North.
The results of the evaluation show that Option D best meets these criteria. This option would see the Green Line LRT run underground from the Beltline (Beltline route is yet to be determined), under 2 Street S.W., and under the Bow River. The line would resurface at approximately 20 Avenue and Centre Street N.
The city said, "while the underground option was the highest ranked in the evaluation process, further analysis is required before the project team takes a formal recommendation to Council within the next year. Technical design, economic analysis and further discussions with the public will inform the official recommendation."
The Green Line’s route in the Beltline will undergo a similar evaluation process. The Green Line team will evaluate underground, street-level or elevated guideway.
Calgary’s mayor, Naheed Nenshi, previously said he wants construction on the north-south line to begin in 2017, with completion by 2024. The project will double the city’s LRT system, adding 40km of track to the existing 59km LRT network. In January 2014, Calgary’s City Council approved funding of CAD 520M (USD 401.5M) for the planning, design and construction of the Green Line.
