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The Canadian government has guaranteed up to CAD$150 million for the Edmonton's new Light Rail Transit (LRT) PPP project.

This additional funding comes from the New Building Canada Fund - Provincial-Territorial Infrastructure Component. The Edmonton's new Light Rail Transit (LRT) will be the first project to receive funding from thist new fund.

This contribution, in addition to CAD$250 million already pledged by the federal government through the P3 Canada Fund, will bring the total federal contribution to the project to up to CAD$400 million.

The Province of Alberta and the City of Edmonton are also partners on this project. The total value of the project is up to CAD$1.8 billion with CAD$600 million coming from the provincial government, and CAD$800 million from the city.

The Government of Alberta launched request for qualifications (RFQ) to develop the project in late April. Interested parties must submit their proposals on or before 17 June 2014. The outcome of this RFQ is limited to identifying and shortlisting 3 respondents.

Wayne Drysdale, Alberta's minister of Transportation and minister of Infrastructure, stated:

Alberta supports municipalities in meeting their local needs and priorities. An effective transit system is a vital part of a busy, modern city where people need quick and easy connections within their communities.

The project is anticipated to be approximately 13 km long extending from 102 Street Stop to Mill Woods Town Centre. Along the alignment there are 11 at-grade neighbourhood stops and one above-grade station at Davies Station. The line will integrate directly into existing communities, with an initial projected daily ridership of 31,500 passengers, increasing to 42,000 by 2044. The project will operate separately from the city's other existing LRT lines.

Key structures of the project include a tunnel connecting downtown Edmonton to the River Valley (approximately 0.5 km), a new river bridge crossing the North Saskatchewan River and an operations and maintenance facility.