Quote:
Originally Posted by eternallyme
Another challenging area will be from Knoxdale to south of West Hunt Club. It will be expensive no matter what there. The feasible options:
1) Tunnel from just north of Knoxdale to across from the Nepean Sportsplex.
- No expropriation required
- Highest costs due to tunnel in sensitive soil
- All movements maintained as they are now
2) Surface alignment throughout
- Requires an interchange at Woodroffe/West Hunt Club, with ramps on east side
- Full expropriation of at least 15 multi-family buildings required
- Partial expropriation of Confederation Education Centre required
- Knoxdale would require special signalling, Majestic would need to be closed
- Not feasible for BRT, but may be feasible if directly to LRT
- Lowest cost for soil movement, but countered somewhat by the interchange cost
3) Trenched from Knoxdale to across from the Nepean Sportsplex
- Full expropriation of at least 15 multi-family buildings required
- Structures required at West Hunt Club, Majestic and Knoxdale
- Sensitive soil may create additional problems
- Cost lower than tunnel but higher than surface option
- Cheapest feasible BRT option
|
I don't see how a tunnel would be WAY more expensive.
-Option one would require around 6 million in expropriation, the Woodroffe/West Hunt Club ramps are likely a million or two (although, as you say, countered somewhat by reduced soil costs), if a train crosses Knoxdale, it crosses a line where the system might no longer be rapid transit since we would have to limit the speed, and brings an additional risk of danger to cyclists and pedestrian, closing Majestic is closing the only direct route to Woodroffe for this neighbourhood (so more traffic on Knoxdale).
-Option two has similar expropriation costs, so still disturbs 15 families.
If we look at the extension between Queensway station and Pinecrest that has been debated to death 3 times in 20 years (and still not built), it should be a lesson that the extra cost of a tunnel is worth it if only to do it right and not re-locate 15 families.
So, in conclusion, I would suggest the tunnel and build it as LRT right off the bat to save money. Seems to me that a tunnel buit for double tracked LRT is cheaper than one for a 4 lane BRT highway.
Threaded Mode