As an engineer and a City Councillor, I've spent years watching Edmonton stumble through major construction projects. The latest Valley Line West LRT announcement is just another symptom of a broken system I've been fighting to fix.

Last week, I sat in Council chambers watching administration explain why we need to shut down major intersections across west Edmonton this summer, bringing unprecedented disruption to west end communities for the foreseeable future. Their reasoning? We're behind schedule and need to catch up. Stop me if you've heard this before.

We also heard from local business owners who have already endured two years of constant disruption and are hanging on by a thread. Their message was clear and heartbreaking - many won’t survive another summer of construction hell. These are our neighbours, people who have invested everything in their businesses, now watching their livelihoods threatened by poor project management.

Let me be blunt: This project has been mismanaged from the start. Construction began late, far too many roads were closed simultaneously, and work sites sat dormant for months. Now, with Stony Plain Road construction a full year behind schedule, their solution is simply to close even more major intersections.

The reality is this goes far beyond the West LRT. We're looking at a fundamental problem in how our city plans and executes major projects. I've been in the construction industry for over 30 years, and I can tell you: it doesn't have to be this way.

Here's the painful reality of what's coming in 2025:

• Complete closure of key intersections along Stony Plain Road for up to 2 months
• Nine months of single-lane traffic on 104 Avenue
• Concurrent construction on Jasper Avenue starting in spring
• Wellington Bridge replacement closing 102 Avenue in late 2025

And that's just the beginning of a multi-year infrastructure crisis. The Dawson Bridge will see closures in 2025, the Low Level Bridge will see partial closure in 2026, followed by the High Level Bridge in 2027 - a closure that will last three years. Closing these critical river crossings will impact hundreds of thousands of Edmontonians that rely on them daily.  Meanwhile, the $2.6 billion West LRT project -  the largest infrastructure investment in Edmonton's history - is now delayed until 2028.

These aren't just a few inconvenient detours - they're major disruptions to a growing city of nearly two million people. With 50,000 new residents arriving annually and our downtown still in recovery, we need thoughtful, coordinated infrastructure planning - not band-aid solutions.

As someone who's managed major infrastructure projects, I can tell you - this chaos isn't inevitable. It's the result of poor planning and lack of coordination.

This is why I'm running for Mayor. Edmonton needs leadership that understands how to build things properly. We need:

• Real coordination between major projects
• Practical construction scheduling that maintains critical traffic flow
• Private sector expertise at the planning table
• Honest timelines from the start, not after things go wrong

I've proposed creating an Infrastructure Committee with private sector involvement. Why? Because the current model clearly isn't working. We're spending billions of dollars on critical infrastructure, but we're planning it project by project instead of looking at the whole picture.

Want to Help Build it Better? Do you have professional expertise in infrastructure, construction, or project management? I'm looking for industry leaders to help shape this committee. Send me a note at [email protected] - I'd love to hear your ideas.

When I talk about "Building it Better," this is exactly what I mean. It's not just a campaign slogan - it's about fundamentally changing how we approach city building. We need to stop treating our roads like independent projects and start seeing them as part of an interconnected network that keeps our city moving.

I know we can do better because I've done it. Throughout my engineering career, I've managed complex projects that finished on time and on budget. The difference? Proper planning, realistic schedules, and a commitment to minimizing community impacts.

As your Mayor, I'll bring that expertise to city hall. We can build the infrastructure Edmonton needs without creating years of chaos. But first, we need to admit our current approach isn't working.

It's time for change. It's time to build it better.