Edmonton

Major construction projects detour downtown bus routes

Hundreds of downtown buses will be permanently rerouted Sunday to make way for some major construction projects.

'Most significant change in routes on a permanent basis that ETS has had in its history'

There will be no more buses in front of the Stanley A. Milner Library downtown after Sunday. Dozens of routes will be displaced to accommodate downtown construction projects. (Scott Stevenson/CBC)

Hundreds of downtown buses will be permanently rerouted Sunday to make way for some major construction projects.

"This is probably the most significant change in routes on a permanent basis that ETS has had in its history," said transportation manager Dorian Wandzura.

All told, 29 routes will be moved to accommodate the Valley LRT Line, the arena district, the Royal Alberta Museum, and the Quarters redevelopment.

The biggest changes will happen along 102nd Avenue near Churchill Square and the Stanley Milner Library, where buses will no longer run.

Most routes are only moving a couple of blocks out of the way.

The affected routes include: 3, 7, 8, 12, 14, 15, 16, 52, 60, 61, 62, 65, 68, 72, 90, 100, 112, 125, 134, 140, 151, 160, 161, 162, 180, 197, 308, 309.

As construction begins on the utilities for the Valley LRT Line, which extends from Mill Woods to Lewis farms in the west end, some roads will be closed to general traffic as well.