Article content

City engineers recommended a new underpass for the upcoming 50 Street rail separation project but are questioning if that’s really the right option.

It uses less land, which means less impact on neighbouring businesses, but could be complex to build.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Complex 50 Street railway underpass has city engineers looking for options Back to video

“During construction, we have to maintain railway operation,” said project manager Sidd Masand in an interview Thursday.

“You probably don’t have to detour the trains if you do an overpass,” he said. Canadian Pacific Railway could run its trains with construction crews working overhead.

Commuters and business owners have been calling for a fix on 50 Street for decades. The street, popular with both commuters and industrial traffic, runs right beside the Canadian Pacific rail yard. That means trains block the road several times a day, sometimes even stopping on the road or almost clearing it and then backing up.

Last month, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced $39.8 million for rail separation, in addition to the $28.3 million promised by the Alberta government. The City of Edmonton will be on the hook for the rest of the approximately $90-million project.