West LRT | 7 Stations | 8.0 KM | In Service

[yyc_engineer]

Here are a few more snaps from a couple different sites. The launcher is getting dangerously close to Sunalta Station (dangerous because we are still three weeks from pouring the station slab and the launcher will be sitting idle, not good for the schedule or bottom line...)

Enjoy!


Inside the first tunnel section at 38th Street SW


Tunnel Forms - lots going on here!


Looking East at 37th St SW towards future tunnel sections


Sunalta Station looking East. T minus 3 weeks till this mess of rebar is covered in HPC


Looking West from Sunalta

http://www.flickr.com/photos/51553246@N07/

[fusili]

As always, thanks for the photos. Much appreciated.

[kw5150]

Great (inner circle) photos!

[Jack Doe]

Excellent photos yyc_engineer. Please keep contributing.

[CTrainDude]

Originally Posted by yyc_engineer

Here are a few more snaps from a couple different sites. The launcher is getting dangerously close to Sunalta Station (dangerous because we are still three weeks from pouring the station slab and the launcher will be sitting idle, not good for the schedule or bottom line...)

Enjoy!

Is the station behind schedule, or is the truss launcher ahead of schedule? And thanks very much for the photos!

[lubicon]

Looks like they have been driving piles for the 26 Street Station. There's a bunch of them sticking out of the ground now.

[srperrycgy]

Originally Posted by lubicon

Looks like they have been driving piles for the 26 Street Station. There's a bunch of them sticking out of the ground now.

My pic from yesterday aft.:


WLRT-09272010-2 by srp775, on Flickr

[yyc_engineer]

Originally Posted by CTrainDude

Is the station behind schedule, or is the truss launcher ahead of schedule? And thanks very much for the photos!

station is behind. the crappy weather this summer really took a toll on us. since the elevated guideway is all precast, and weather really has not effect on the erection of the segments, they are right on schedule. we should still be able to make the dec/jan schedule for completing the elevated guideway.

the speed of this project is amazing, keep in mind there are hundreds of people working on it but still. I drove over the Graves bridge the other day and they look like they have been at the exact same spot for almost two years now! (and I always see workers walking around on the deck...)

[Calgarian]

Yeah I bet the weather this summer screwed things up. Should be flying this week though.

[Jack Doe]

Originally Posted by yyc_engineer

the speed of this project is amazing, keep in mind there are hundreds of people working on it but still. I drove over the Graves bridge the other day and they look like they have been at the exact same spot for almost two years now! (and I always see workers walking around on the deck...)

A bit off topic, but the Graves Bridge really gets my goat. They started in what, 2007? Last I heard they won't be done till 2012. I would like to find the person in charge of this project and give him a swift kick to the nuts (Assuming he's a man, otherwise I'll just make disparaging remarks about her weight).

[jsbertram]

Originally Posted by yyc_engineer

Here are a few more snaps from a couple different sites. The launcher is getting dangerously close to Sunalta Station (dangerous because we are still three weeks from pouring the station slab and the launcher will be sitting idle, not good for the schedule or bottom line...)

...

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the trackbed within Sunalta station was part of the concrete structure that also makes up the passenger platforms.

I was wondering if it makes sense to build the track up to the east side of Sunalta, then dismantle & reassemble the gantry truss system on the west side of Sunalta & carry on building the track while Sunalta is still being worked on at its own pace?

No doubt it would take time to dismantle & reassemble, but this could be faster than waiting 3 (or more) weeks for Sunalta to get ready for the gantry truss system to run through it.

[yyc_engineer]

Originally Posted by jsbertram

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the trackbed within Sunalta station was part of the concrete structure that also makes up the passenger platforms.

I was wondering if it makes sense to build the track up to the east side of Sunalta, then dismantle & reassemble the gantry truss system on the west side of Sunalta & carry on building the track while Sunalta is still being worked on at its own pace?

No doubt it would take time to dismantle & reassemble, but this could be faster than waiting 3 (or more) weeks for Sunalta to get ready for the gantry truss system to run through it.

kind of. The actual "trackbed" is a HPC CIP concrete pour, the actual platforms are pre-cast, just like the ones on the 7th ave refurb.

don't know if they are planning the dissamble the entire launching truss. the area around Sunalta station is pretty jam packed right now (lots of workers walking around, materials, buildings on the south side and CPR on the north) and it would just be simpler to let it sit and wait a couple weeks.

[lubicon]

Originally Posted by Jack Doe

A bit off topic, but the Graves Bridge really gets my goat. They started in what, 2007? Last I heard they won't be done till 2012. I would like to find the person in charge of this project and give him a swift kick to the nuts (Assuming he's a man, otherwise I'll just make disparaging remarks about her weight).

Must be the same person in charge of the Stoney/Crowchild interchange project.

[Koolfire]

Originally Posted by lubicon

Must be the same person in charge of the Stoney/Crowchild interchange project.

Ya that project is way worse. I think the Graves bridge will be done this November. http://www.calgary.ca/portal/server.pt/g.../Bridge+Rehabilitation/Graves+Bridge.htm To be fair they could redo the bridge deck until the second bridge was finished otherwise they would have to reduce to 1 lane in each direction. Hang in there.

[yyc_engineer]

Work is progressing nicely near 69th Street on the trench leading up to the tunnel portal. A few of the walls have been cast, the pattern is gonna be standard on a lot of the RW and trench walls throughout the line. A few pics below.


Trench Wall (the stamped pattern will be common on most of the walls for the project)


Concrete pour near the temp bridge


Trench looking East


Trench looking West

[MMMBeer]

October monthly update newsletter is up on West LRT website. Mostly construction related items.

[mersar]

From the construction thread:

Originally Posted by Tills13

I was driving home today and I have a few questions regarding the WLRT and the general area.

First, the intersection of Bow Trail and Sarcee. Wasn't there a proposal to put an over pass there? It seems the infrastructure is in place, but there's nothing happening and I haven't heard anything since they moved on from that area.

Second, just before the Crowchild turn off (eastbound) on Bow Trail, where the old pedestrian bridge used to be. What is going in there? They're assembling a two story structure there, but I was under the impression that the Shaganappi station would be further up the hill at the turn off for the Golf Course.

From my recollection the interchange at Bow/Sarcee has been scrapped and may make its way onto a long term (20+ year) plan but nothing soon. Traffic volumes are expected to drop once the WLRT opens, giving the city breathing room on road capacity there.

As for the Shaganappi Point station area, they are building a new pedestrian bridge pretty much where the old one was, just a lot bigger and more suited for the area. I haven't been up there in a while but thats probably what it is.



And last I was up past 17th/Sarcee, they'd started on the piers for the interchange and LRT bridges, they should be poured by now I'd figure (they had forms up then).

[SubwayRev]

Originally Posted by mersar

From the construction thread:



From my recollection the interchange at Bow/Sarcee has been scrapped and may make its way onto a long term (20+ year) plan but nothing soon. Traffic volumes are expected to drop once the WLRT opens, giving the city breathing room on road capacity there.

As for the Shaganappi Point station area, they are building a new pedestrian bridge pretty much where the old one was, just a lot bigger and more suited for the area. I haven't been up there in a while but thats probably what it is.



And last I was up past 17th/Sarcee, they'd started on the piers for the interchange and LRT bridges, they should be poured by now I'd figure (they had forms up then).

Re: Bow/Sarcee, they just finished upgrading the intersection last year, so now Bow has three lanes going through in both directions, with dual turn lanes and it isn't too bad anymore. I think you're right, any interchange has been scrapped for the forseeable future.

As for 17/Sarcee, there are five piers up on the West side of Sarcee I believe, and they're moving pretty quick. I guess I should try to get some pictures, as I live two minutes away by foot. I'll try to do that tomorrow.

[Tills13]

Originally Posted by SubwayRev

Re: Bow/Sarcee, they just finished upgrading the intersection last year, so now Bow has three lanes going through in both directions, with dual turn lanes and it isn't too bad anymore. I think you're right, any interchange has been scrapped for the forseeable future.

As for 17/Sarcee, there are five piers up on the West side of Sarcee I believe, and they're moving pretty quick. I guess I should try to get some pictures, as I live two minutes away by foot. I'll try to do that tomorrow.

My problem is that if you miss the green, you're going to be waiting for a lengthy amount of time. Now, I realize that Bow Trail has priority considering it's vital to emptying the core around peak hours, but there are better solutions than adding more turning lanes or more lanes in general.

And yeah, the 17th Ave. "mess" is coming along nicely, the bridge piers are up, though I'm pretty sure they still have a few to go.

[SubwayRev]

Here's a couple of photos from yesterday, of the 17th Ave/Sarcee Trail interchange.

Piers on West side of Sarcee:



Downtown backdrop:


I'm not sure what that "building" is in the second photo. Is it for the LRT?