O-Train Line 1/3 [Stage 2 | West Extension | Tunney's to Baseline/Moodie] | U/C

[DTcrawler]

Seeing the trenched portion of the alignment that lies within the northeast corner of the Pinecrest/417 interchange backfilled feels like a huge milestone. I understand why it flies under the radar compared to the technical magnitude of other aspects of the west extension, but the former feels like it was a warzone in plain sight of 417 WB drivers for the longest time.

One thing I'm curious about though, won't snow plows clearing snow from the 417 ramps launch snow over the concrete barrier and onto the guideway or potentially even onto a train passing underneath once the extension opens? Sometimes these plow operators are going pretty fast and it's crazy how far snow/slush gets launched when they do so.

[hwy418]

Originally Posted by DTcrawler

Seeing the trenched portion of the alignment that lies within the northeast corner of the Pinecrest/417 interchange backfilled feels like a huge milestone. I understand why it flies under the radar compared to the technical magnitude of other aspects of the west extension, but the former feels like it was a warzone in plain sight of 417 WB drivers for the longest time.

One thing I'm curious about though, won't snow plows clearing snow from the 417 ramps launch snow over the concrete barrier and onto the guideway or potentially even onto a train passing underneath once the extension opens? Sometimes these plow operators are going pretty fast and it's crazy how far snow/slush gets launched when they do so.

Good question about the snow - they are planning to install snow fencing on ramp structures that cross the guideway to help mitigate that.

[OTownandDown]

Originally Posted by hwy418

Good question about the snow - they are planning to install snow fencing on ramp structures that cross the guideway to help mitigate that.

Same snow fencing that lasted about 2 weeks along the Transitway install a few years ago, from Bayshore to Moodie?

I noticed they've tripled the fence posts along the stretch. *squints eyes* that aught to do it!

(I'm pretty sure the only way to accomplish keeping snowplow snow (and vehicles) from entering the trench is to install new precast sound barriers. Thin mesh chain link ain't gonna cut it.

[hwy418]

Originally Posted by OTownandDown

Same snow fencing that lasted about 2 weeks along the Transitway install a few years ago, from Bayshore to Moodie?

I noticed they've tripled the fence posts along the stretch. *squints eyes* that aught to do it!

(I'm pretty sure the only way to accomplish keeping snowplow snow (and vehicles) from entering the trench is to install new precast sound barriers. Thin mesh chain link ain't gonna cut it.

Not sure what they've spec'd out but I think it's heavy duty enough to need a long duration closure of one lane of the WB Richmond/Bayshore Dr off-ramp lane to install.

[hwy418]

Originally Posted by OTownandDown

Same snow fencing that lasted about 2 weeks along the Transitway install a few years ago, from Bayshore to Moodie?

I noticed they've tripled the fence posts along the stretch. *squints eyes* that aught to do it!

(I'm pretty sure the only way to accomplish keeping snowplow snow (and vehicles) from entering the trench is to install new precast sound barriers. Thin mesh chain link ain't gonna cut it.

That was purely for headlight glare for the EB Transitway lane facing WB 417 lanes, but that is no longer needed.

[OTownandDown]

Originally Posted by hwy418

That was purely for headlight glare for the EB Transitway lane facing WB 417 lanes, but that is no longer needed.

What about from the opposite side of the divider? Train headlights are crazy bright, and sections eastbound of Moodie actually face AT the highway, and the tracks are set almost level with the divider wall. Clearly trains will blast the roadway with their headlights for the entire stretch.

Also I'm skeptical about the snow clearing, I think it's a quick and easy toss for a snowplow to hit the eastbound tracks no problemo.

And also coming from the opposite side of the divider, trains with a plow on the front could in theory toss snow onto the highway. And even if it were an extreme outside chance, we need a physical divider.

What's going in on the Orleans side? Edit: Chain Link. (however, highway snow is cleared away from the median, and trains run with the direction of traffic..ish )

Double-Edit: Just checked in with Calgary, and they have nothing at all, just a low median. So I guess nothing is needed. lol

[J.OT13]

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[DTcrawler]

Originally Posted by OTownandDown

Double-Edit: Just checked in with Calgary, and they have nothing at all, just a low median. So I guess nothing is needed. lol

From what I've seen from visiting Calgary semi-regularly for work, they just don't plow snow. Get a 4x4 or go back to yer country (or province)! lol

[zzptichka]

Still bummed that some courtyard off Sparks can get heated floors with actual tiles, while a multi-Billion dollar transit system with a handful of stations can't, and has to cover everything with layers of salt.

(taken during a heavy snowfall in -10C temperature)

[kmcamp]

Originally Posted by zzptichka

Still bummed that some courtyard off Sparks can get heated floors with actual tiles, while a multi-Billion dollar transit system with a handful of stations can't, and has to cover everything with layers of salt.

(taken during a heavy snowfall in -10C temperature)

Did we even get a year out of the ones they built into the confed line originally before they failed?

[AuxTown]

They had a train at Moodie yesterday! Was half inside, half outside of the long white maintenance building. Couldn’t take a pic since I was driving. How did it get there? Tracks? Truck? Helicopter?…

Anyway, super cool to see a vehicle out west already :-)

Anyone else see it? Was I hallucinating?

[OCCheetos]

Originally Posted by AuxTown

They had a train at Moodie yesterday! Was half inside, half outside of the long white maintenance building. Couldn’t take a pic since I was driving. How did it get there? Tracks? Truck? Helicopter?…

Anyway, super cool to see a vehicle out west already :-)

Anyone else see it? Was I hallucinating?

They are transported by truck. https://x.com/OC_Transpo/status/1869426197836222623

There are three(?) trains at Moodie now.

[DTcrawler]

Originally Posted by AuxTown

They had a train at Moodie yesterday! Was half inside, half outside of the long white maintenance building. Couldn’t take a pic since I was driving. How did it get there? Tracks? Truck? Helicopter?…

Anyway, super cool to see a vehicle out west already :-)

Anyone else see it? Was I hallucinating?

Not hallucinating, I've seen trains parked in view there semi-regularly for the past few months. By Moodie I assume you meant Corkstown Yard since you mentioned the maintenance building.

I like seeing them parked outside for people to see - almost feels like a "show of presence" as if to signal that O-Train is coming to that end of town.

Semi-related note: I wish they'd put up a big illuminated O-Train / OC Transpo logo on the south-facing side of the principal maintenance building, visible from the 417.

[Richard Eade]

Or even the ‘quarter-O’ logo in the top-left of each building (assuming that a big illuminated, potentially distracting, sign might not be allowed right next to the highway).

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by AuxTown

They had a train at Moodie yesterday! Was half inside, half outside of the long white maintenance building. Couldn’t take a pic since I was driving. How did it get there? Tracks? Truck? Helicopter?…

Anyway, super cool to see a vehicle out west already :-)

Anyone else see it? Was I hallucinating?

Originally Posted by OCCheetos

They are transported by truck. https://x.com/OC_Transpo/status/1869426197836222623

There are three(?) trains at Moodie now.

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Originally Posted by Richard Eade

Or even the ‘quarter-O’ logo in the top-left of each building (assuming that a big illuminated, potentially distracting, sign might not be allowed right next to the highway).

We have plenty of signs and ads along the highway, so I can't imagine there's a law against OC branding their sheds.

[lrt's friend]

It would be so more effective to have the red lollypop signs on the 417 if there was actually a parking lot at the Moodie terminus.

I know, money, money, money, but the western terminus should have been one stop further west to collect the suburbanites and exurbanites. When will that one station extension be built? 2075?

[Richard Eade]

In order to extend the line to Eagleson/March, there would need to be some road reconfiguration. This appears to be quite complex. However, if we could move the on-ramps to the WB 417, things get a bit simpler.



In this example, I have removed the existing WB on-ramps and relocated a consolidated on-ramp to the other side of the OPP station. This will make that short section of Compeau Drive busy, but I think that it can be handled with an extra turn lane, if needed..

The new off-ramp and on-ramp structures would be built first, since that work should not disrupt the traffic flow. Once the new ramps are in play, the underpass of March should be done using a top-down construction technique. At night, piles could be drilled and poured through the current road. Once cured, these will form the supports for the new bridge deck. This part should have minimal disruption on traffic. When it is time, the current road surface can be removed, forms put in place and the new deck poured, using the ground for support. This would, likely be done in stages to minimize traffic disruption. Once cured, the ground underneath can be removed, forming the new rail underpass.

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

It would be so more effective to have the red lollypop signs on the 417 if there was actually a parking lot at the Moodie terminus.

I know, money, money, money, but the western terminus should have been one stop further west to collect the suburbanites and exurbanites. When will that one station extension be built? 2075?

2075 sounds about right. I hope the make the Moodie bus connection a bit less convoluted than they've been so far. With a park and ride express bus to Moodie this could actually be an attractive option. But if it stops 6 times in Kanata then takes 4 minutes to get you to the station where it drops you off 400 meters away....

[kmcamp]

Originally Posted by Richard Eade

In order to extend the line to Eagleson/March, there would need to be some road reconfiguration.

I think your idea would cause too much congestion at that intersection as now all westbound traffic from both north and south would need to turn into Campeau, and have to make a left turn against eastbound traffic on Campeau.

To be honest, it would actually be better if they ran the line down the median of the 417 like they do in the east at that point, it would be closer to the park and ride lot on the south side of the interchange, and you wouldn't need to trench under the ramps like they did at Pinecrest. I know it's not the actual alignment in the EA though

[Richard Eade]

I think that one of the big differences between the west and the east is who owns the highway. The LRT enters the median of OR174 (Ottawa Road 174) east of Blair. Since the province downloaded that highway to the city decades ago, the city had complete control of rebuilding that highway. Adding LRT to the median was purely an Ottawa exercise.

A western extension of the LRT along the 417 would be within a provincially owned highway. That could add a huge complexity to the problem. Remember, even the overpasses spanning the 417 are owned by the province – which is why the city has such trouble just getting sidewalks on them. The province believes that the 417 through western Ottawa is ‘finished’, and it has no (known) intention of further modifying that portion of the highway. They are willing to allow the city to use some surplus peripheral land, but would likely not allow major construction within the traveled portion of the roadway.