After over a hundred year absence, a funicular is finally returning to Edmonton’s river valley. City council approved the bottom supported cable system which will link downtown, near the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald, to a network of ravine trails below.
Rendering of funicular, east alignment. Image from City of Edmonton.
The funicular will improve valley connectivity for all users, especially ones with mobility challenges.
The provincial and federal governments have pledged over two thirds of the $24 million project to the River Valley Alliance (a regional arm’s length agency) to build the funicular.
If the City voted against the project, it would have lost all the funding. The project not only includes the cable lift, but an elevator and pedestrian bridge crossing Grierson Hill Road.
Rendering of funicular, terrace view. Image from City of Edmonton.
Operation costs have yet to be determined but is estimated at $500,000 to $1,000,000 per year.
Construction is scheduled to begin March 7 and could be complete by 2017. For more information, please see the City’s project page.