Stony Plain Road reopens after 2 years

After nearly two years, ten blocks along Stony Plain Road have reopened.

The stretch of road between 129 and 139 Street had been closed since December of 2022, to the dismay of many local businesses.

One Vi's for Pies customer said she had been avoiding it altogether until recently.

“Probably about a month ago, I said to my girlfriend, 'That's (a) good place for us.' And they all said, 'Well, no, we can't get through that road, so pick another place.' So I picked another place," Darlene Klassen said.

"You can get in here now but it’s still difficult," she added.

Outside the bakery, tracks have been laid down for the Valley Line LRT.

Marigold Infrastructure Projects said the estimated completion date of the Valley Line West is now expected to be 2028, adding that the remaining work in the area will be "less impactful."

The pie shop said it's ready to handle any further disruptions that may arise.

"It's open for now, but I imagine there’s probably going to be some situations (where) they're going to close it," said Josh Lawrence. "I think the hardest part, we have gone through it. Now we are used to it, I’m not too worried about it."

For now, they are enjoying seeing more people coming through the door.

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While Stony Plain Road never closed at 124 street, businesses there say they are also seeing an uptick in sales.

"All of the sudden, our Saturdays picked up again and our lunch time sort of started picking up again," said Nate Rosas-Balon, general manager at Frida Urban Taqueria.

The restaurant said sales had dropped by 30 per cent since construction began in 2022. Rosas-Balon says the reopening is a good thing, but he does lament the loss of customer parking to the LRT.

"Now they have to park a few blocks away. Maybe they'll drive by, they won't find parking and then they'll just leave," he said.

The new Stony Plain Road bridge over Groat Road also recently opened, reconnecting 129 Street to Connaught Drive.

The $2.6-billion Valley Line LRT West will run from the downtown terminus of the Valley Line Southeast to the Lewis Farms Transit Centre, with 14 street-level stops and two elevated platforms.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Craig Ellingson