PCL Construction’s commitment to collaboratively delivering complex, large-scale transit infrastructure projects on time and on budget is at the core of the company's integrated light rail transit (LRT) construction approach. This approach draws on PCL’s deep expertise in the civil, buildings and industrial sectors. Entrusted by public sector clients, its teams help cities improve access to affordable modes of public transportation while streamlining project delivery, prioritizing safety and minimizing operational and service disruptions in dense urban spaces. 

"Our mandate is to deliver these projects with as few disruptions to LRT operations and adjacent businesses and residents as possible, and to do so in a manner that keeps our teams and the public safe,” says Francesco Contrada, PCL project manager. “Our safety performance is unmatched and is a big reason why clients trust us to deliver these complex civil projects.”

In 2024, PCL achieved an outstanding safety milestone with zero lost-time incidents across its Canadian operations, including trades. This achievement earned PCL the prestigious CCA National Safety Award and reinforced its role as a founding member of the Canadian Construction Safety Council (CCSC).

Calgary Municipal Land Corporation, through a construction management (CM) procurement model, chose PCL to deliver a transformative civil project including the construction of a new LRT bridge, the demolition and construction of an LRT station that needed to remain operational during construction, and the creation of a multi-modal roadway providing pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle access to Calgary’s Culture and Entertainment District. 

PCL earned this highly complex project based on its proven experience successfully delivering LRT projects in Calgary, as well as its advanced and highly collaborative CM approach. The CM model — preferred for highly complex projects — enables early involvement of PCL’s in-house experts during preconstruction and fosters integrated collaboration with key partners (owner, consultants, trades and stakeholders). This approach also helps optimize design, value, constructability and project scheduling while reducing risk. 

The primary challenge was building the new LRT station on the existing fully operational site without compromising passenger safety and service. This phase of the project presented multiple logistical challenges:  

• Building between a major traffic corridor and the BMO Convention Centre, which was also under construction at the time.
• Working amidst a complex network of existing utilities and infrastructure.
• Scheduling non-negotiable work stoppages scheduled to accommodate massive crowds attending the annual Calgary Stampede.
• Maintaining access for hundreds of additional events at Stampede Park.  

One more layer of complexity was not anticipated: the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic that disrupted supply chains, hampered productivity and created unprecedented logistical challenges on-site. 

Ensuring the transit hub remained accessible to the 13,000 daily users required precise planning, a solution-provider mentality and a commitment to operational excellence.  Starting construction at the height of the pandemic in 2020 and continuing through December 2023, PCL crews demolished the existing station and supporting infrastructure, built a temporary platform, and constructed a new station with a canopy. During a critical nine-day shutdown, they completed finishing work to transition to the permanent rail alignment and LRT station.  

The nine-day plan was tracked live, with progress updates scheduled hourly to ensure teams remained on schedule. PCL maintained a 24-hour construction schedule for the entirety of the nine days. During the station’s closure, crews realigned and tied in the existing tracks to the new station, installed overhead power lines, connected signal lights, completed access to two accessible side-loading platforms, and tested the entire system before handing over the fully commissioned track to Calgary Transit on schedule.  

“This project was one of the most logistically complicated projects I have ever worked on,” says PCL Superintendent Joel Swanberg. “During construction, the safety of the public and the safety of our tradespeople working around an active LRT line were always at the forefront of our minds as we executed the work. We are proud of our safety record and the quality of the finished product.” 

The Metro Line Northwest LRT extension in Edmonton features 1.5 kilometers of new LRT track and two new stations that include pedestrian promenades, public plazas, landscaping, tree-lined boulevards and a dedicated commuter cycle track. 

Also procured under the CM model, the project was delivered on budget and on time, an outcome that the client attributes to early engagement and openness around change management. “Working with PCL, we were able to understand as changes happened,” says Eva Cheung, general supervisor of the Metro Line LRT extension with the City of Edmonton. “We were able to monitor and assess and come to agreeable solutions.”

PCL’s integrated and collaborative approach to CM allowed it to lower the City’s costs and accelerate the timeline with innovative constructability input. Working with a trade partner, PCL developed a custom, pre-manufactured foam formwork system that proved instrumental in enhancing productivity and maintaining consistent trough dimensions for the trackway’s 1.6-kilometer-long concrete slab. It facilitated faster pre-fabrication and stripping while meeting strict tolerances. “This was an opportunity for us at PCL to showcase our solution-provider culture and what we can do as a company working under a CM model,” says Brad Appleton, PCL construction manager on the project. 

The Metro Line LRT is just one of a growing number of examples of how PCL helps clients successfully complete complex civil infrastructure projects by managing risk early. “The City of Edmonton appreciates the working relationship we’ve had with PCL,” says Cheung. “It’s been collaborative, and everyone embraced the partnership-focused relationship and joint problem-solving.”

On both projects, the CM framework enabled PCL to be involved early in preconstruction, to provide integrated constructability and value engineering reviews, and to collaborate with partners on optimizing design and scheduling.

In Calgary, PCL’s solution-provider approach as construction manager was instrumental in keeping the new LRT bridge construction project on schedule and avoiding lengthy environmental approvals by keeping bridge assembly work to the edges of the Elbow River.  

“To overcome the complexity of these projects, collaboration and coordination are critical,” says PCL Project Manager Laine Juergens. “The construction management contract model brings key stakeholders together to ensure transparency throughout the project lifecycle.” 

Whether building new transit stations and maintenance facilities, modernizing existing infrastructure or expanding light rail networks, PCL’s early involvement ensures the best opportunity to optimize design, assess constructability and conduct value-engineering reviews, delivering clients a reliable and comprehensive suite of services.