EDMONTON — A month after announcing its money would be off the table, the Alberta government says it's recommitting its $1.53-billion share towards Calgary's beleaguered Green Line light rail project.
Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen and Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek say they've agreed to continue work on one section of the $6.2-billion transit project.
Calgary city council voted to wind it down last month after Dreeshen said the province would pull its funding without a re-design and extension of the Green Line's route.
The city estimated it would cost $850 million to shut it down, on top of the $1.3 billion already spent, but in late September Gondek made a last-ditch effort to ask the province to help salvage some pieces of the project they could agree on.
The two leaders, in a joint statement, say the province's previously committed money will be available to support continuing work on the southern leg of the transit line, preserving more than 700 jobs.
In the meantime, a consulting firm hired by the province continues to work on a new alignment to meet Dreeshen's demand that a downtown section of the Green Line not go underground.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 10, 2024.
Lisa Johnson, The Canadian Press
