Broadway Subway - Millennium Line Extension to Arbutus | U/C

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by aberdeen5698

So are you suggesting that we should just close down the street where station construction is occurring? I actually think the Broadway construction has been reasonably successful compared to what Cambie experienced from Broadway to King Edward during the construction of the Canada Line. Of course what we have on Broadway is worse than it was before construction started, but I don't see how you can avoid some impact.

I'm not really seeing the difference around the stations themselves... nor, likely, do the nearby businesses; I vaguely remember the Broadway and King Ed intersections staying open (albeit with the same traffic/pedestrian disruption). Meanwhile, the decks are also a not-insignificant cause of the project slowing down.

And Greektown isn't as critical to traffic flow, so if not needing decks for Macdonald and/or Alma means we can keep UBCx on-schedule, I'd argue that it's worth looking at.

[aberdeen5698]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

I vaguely remember the Broadway and King Ed intersections staying open (albeit with the same traffic/pedestrian disruption).

Broadway and King Edward were open because the stations weren't on those streets, for the most part they were under Cambie St. and merely adjacent to those cross streets. Broadway stations will be under Broadway, so I expect that station construction without some sort of mitigation strategy like the decks would have a pretty big impact.

Glad I'm not the one who has to make the decision and then justify it to all the people who come with pitchforks...

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by aberdeen5698

Broadway and King Edward were open because the stations weren't on those streets, for the most part they were under Cambie St. and merely adjacent to those cross streets. Broadway stations will be under Broadway, so I expect that station construction without some sort of mitigation strategy like the decks would have a pretty big impact.

Presumably this only applies to two station boxes on Broadway between Arbutus and UBC? I would imagine keeping traffic running on Broadway would be important for the continued operation of the 99 bus. That's certainly a factor that justified the decks in the current construction, and I agree that generally they've been more successful than the Cambie construction. The complexity at Cambie and Broadway, with the sewer also running there has added problems, but overall it's been minimally disruptive, considering the scale of the undertaking.

[Migrant_Coconut]

In theory, TPTB could detour the buses down 10th/12th (additional road closures as necessary)... but I see the point. I don't envy anybody making the call when one half of the city or the other will complain loudly no matter what they do.

Finishing the line on-time and on-budget, however, might go a long way toward offsetting most complaints.

[officedweller]

As an alternative to a complete closure of Broadway....
If the extension was built with cut and cover and a cast-in-place stacked tunnel, half of Broadway could be left open to traffic the way Cambie Village still had traffic through it.
Stations could be on parcels on the side of the street (one side only) like King Edward Station at locations where land assembly allows a sufficient frontage for the station (that's probably the stumbling block, as there may not be stretches of older buildings near the station locations). Platforms would still be under the roadway like at King Edward Station, so station frontage would just be access points.
All but the main cross streets would be closed off though.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by officedweller

As an alternative to a complete closure of Broadway....
If the extension was built with cut and cover and a cast-in-place stacked tunnel, half of Broadway could be left open to traffic the way Cambie Village still had traffic through it.
Stations could be on parcels on the side of the street (one side only) like King Edward Station at locations where land assembly allows a sufficient frontage for the station (that's probably the stumbling block, as there may not be stretches of older buildings near the station locations). Platforms would still be under the roadway like at King Edward Station, so station frontage would just be access points.
All but the main cross streets would be closed off though.

I'm pretty sure this isn't the right thread to be discussing the construction of the rest of the line to UBC.

The discussion started with a suggestion that keeping Broadway open, and having decking to allow that at station locations, may not be worth doing. Cut and cover would be orders of magnitude more disruptive, and it almost certainly would not even be be considered.

In addition, unless the idea is for the province to buy up a lot of property to demolish, you can't easily get from Broadway to Jericho in a cut and cover scenario. The expectation is that Jericho will be the launch point for a portal (easily constructed on a large area of land, just like the site by Emily Carr), and then tunnel back to Arbutus.

[officedweller]

Good point - off topic.
Broadway is the south boundary of the Jericho Lands site, so cut and cover would probably require having the station on the southern side of the site rather than the middle.

[officedweller]

From the Project twitter Oct 16th:



At GNW-Emily Carr Station, crews have completed this staircase that leads to the concourse level from the train platform.
To construct these stairs, the concrete base is first made on site. Each individual step is built offsite and later installed.
https://x.com/broadwaysubway_/status/1978868714779889793

[twoNeurons]

Originally Posted by Changing City

The expectation is that Jericho will be the launch point for a portal (easily constructed on a large area of land, just like the site by Emily Carr), and then tunnel back to Arbutus.

How about a portal to elevate the line from there to UBC. Now THAT is a proposal that I could get under.

[officedweller]

From the project twitter toady:


Electrical and mechanical equipment are currently being installed across the Broadway Subway Project.
Here, crews are installing conduit and cable trays in one of the service rooms at GNW-Emily Carr Station. Wires will run along the metal trays to connect equipment together.
https://x.com/broadwaysubway_/status/1980695742546161693

[logan5]

Only 2 more years!!

[mcj]

Originally Posted by logan5

Only 2 more years!!

Only about 1 more year until construction finishes though, according to the latest schedule. Then nearly a full year of testing and commissioning, which seems like a lot for relatively short extension of an existing system, hopefully that's just contingency padding in the schedule.

Great Northern Way will be interesting to see what happens with the Low Tide proposal for that site.

[officedweller]

Posted today:


This section of the Arbutus Station roof, between Cypress & Maple streets, is covered by a black waterproofing membrane that will keep the station dry.
Crews are now placing gravel & soil in the area between the station roof & the street. This process is called backfilling.
https://x.com/broadwaysubway_/status/1981454378197201011

[logan5]

Originally Posted by mcj

Only about 1 more year until construction finishes though, according to the latest schedule. Then nearly a full year of testing and commissioning, which seems like a lot for relatively short extension of an existing system, hopefully that's just contingency padding in the schedule.

Great Northern Way will be interesting to see what happens with the Low Tide proposal for that site.

Good point. As you said, there is a window there for an earlier opening date. Very excited for this game changing subway line that I can walk to.

[Mac Write]

I thought I was looking at something with the patella bridge replacement car tunnel then read the post.

[dharper]

Do utilities need to be move back to their original locations while the stations are being covered or do they stay where they were moved to before execavation?

[jollyburger]

Yes they are investigating or already started on that work if you go to the current construction updates you'll see the status at each station.

eg "Utility investigations along W. Broadway, Laurel and Oak streets will begin on October 14. This work is required in preparation for the reinstatement of permanent utilities in the area."

[idunno]

So exciting that they're already covering up the stations!

Also intriguing that Arbutus was the last to get the traffic deck, but the first to cover?

[WarrenC12]

The wait for opening day will be pretty painful as we see how far along things get over the next 6 months.

[Feathered Friend]

Beginning at the Mount Pleasant Station in January 2026, crews will dismantle and remove the traffic deck that supports the roadway between Main and Quebec streets.

To complete this process as quickly as possible, vehicle traffic will be temporarily detoured around the block where work is taking place. After approximately four months, vehicle traffic will return to this section of Broadway with one lane in each direction for another four months as reconstruction is finished.

In summer 2026, this block of Broadway between Main and Quebec streets is scheduled to have four lanes open to traffic, wider sidewalks with the sidewalk on the south side of Broadway reconnected to Main Street and most of the safety fencing removed.

https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2025TT0110-001048