Millennium Line - Evergreen Extension | Completed

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by Olden Retreiver

Why would there be a layover for the Millenium train? It comes into the station, passengers get off, passengers get on, and it departs back to Braid. If the train needs to idle anywhere to keep schedules and spacings, can't it "layover" in Braid station?

Is the 3rd platform at Lougheed a $10 Million parking garage then?

The absence of a 3rd platform at Columbia is why the more logical routing - VCC to Columbia (reversing at Columbia to allow more trains to go to Surrey) - cannot be implemented. It takes too much time and is too disruptive to reverse a train in the middle of a mainline. The third platform at Lougheed would have been intended to address distant future capacity concerns at the Lougheed hub with all of the train movements contemplated.

Also,

This quote appears on page 132 of 424 of the connectivity report.
Seems like they anticipate large volumes of passengers, so did not want one centre platform for both major destinations.

http://www.llbc.leg.bc.ca/public/Pubdocs/bcdocs/329621/SkyTrainReview.pdf


http://www.llbc.leg.bc.ca/public/Pubdocs/bcdocs/329621/SkyTrainReview.pdf

The disruption caused by reversing a train on a mainline is reflected in the
Evergreen Line operations report that was posted on the TransLink website a few years back:

[Zassk]

"Building a third track at Columbia in the "back" of the Columbia inbound platform"... this matches the solution that I had wondered about before - namely, could a third platform be built alongside the existing Millennium track beside the foot of the SkyTrain bridge, where there is currently just a blank retaining wall for the street above. There would be a bit of a walk for passengers making transfers, but it would not be too bad (no worse than at Waterfront Station). And would be much cheaper than excavating a new parallel platform beside the existing station.

i.e. just to the left of this picture, just out of frame:


credit

[officedweller]

I interpretted "in the "back" of the Columbia inbound platform" to mean underground to the north,
rather than at grade or trenched to the east - but to the east would be easier and cheaper.
I also recall someone suggested there could be enough room for a crossover switch just west of the New West tunnel.

From page 49 of this thread:

Originally Posted by BCPhil

Yeah, an new Upper Columbia would work too.. and might actually result in not needing to close Columbia station during construction.

If Upper Columbia were build a bit elevated access to the roads could be preserved for small cars and pedestrians. The stairs would be longer, but it could be directly above the existing platforms.

I think it would be a simple matter to then put outward facing switches on the Millennium line tracks right outside the tunnel and raise the tracks over the existing ones at Clarkson. Then M-Line trains wouldn't touch Expo Line's tracks. They wouldn't cross paths ever. They would run completely segregated and the existing switches could be used for transferring rolling stock.

Something like this:


The yellow lines (crudely drawn) could either be at street level, elevated, or go below the existing tracks. But this kind of configuration would have the least impact during construction (as all the existing tracks remain) and would result in a system where lines don't cross paths, ever.

The station could be double tracked if you think it's possible or worthy to extend this new spur into New Westminster (I think it would be worth it if possible). If the platform was on the inside, then a two escalator system (outside flight to mezzanine, inside flight to center platform) could work and the 4th ave entrance could be the mezzanine.

Originally Posted by officedweller

Here's the pic posted by nname earlier in the old archived thread showing his proposed location for switches that could access a new Columbia platform to the north (under Clarkson Street)
(as opposed to the TransLink report (quoted below) which proposed a switch where the future Woodlands Station would be built - preventing the construction of a station there).

This would also keep both tracks in the tunnel active and shorten the "single track" segment of the route.
An additional switch would lead to the platform siding under Clarkson St.

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=165814&page=49

[dpogue]

There's a unofficial webcam view of the truss in Burquitlam: http://www.burquitlam.org/?p=607

[queetz@home]

Originally Posted by dpogue

There's a unofficial webcam view of the truss in Burquitlam: http://www.burquitlam.org/?p=607

Thanks! It doesn't show much yet but the efforts are appreciated. Dunno why EGRT wouldn't install webcams in Burquitlam and Lougheed since that is where the most interesting visible parts of the construction are.

[nname]

Lincoln is almost the same as Burquitlam, so I guess they only need webcam for one of the station.

Lougheed is easily accessible so they probably thought they don't need.

Interestingly that Burquitlam and Lincoln are probably the only stations that will be using the pre-cast concrete segments for construction. Lafarge Lake uses precast concrete slabs (the segments for the tail tracks are already up), while the pillar for Coquitlam Station looks different from any other stations. Seems like gantry crane will only be used from the first pillar east of Coquitlam Station to about 2 pillars south of Guildford Way, where the track splits. Not sure what type of method they will be using for the elevated segment west of Coquitlam Station.

[TransitFreak]

Originally Posted by nname

Lincoln is almost the same as Burquitlam, so I guess they only need webcam for one of the station.

Lougheed is easily accessible so they probably thought they don't need.

Interestingly that Burquitlam and Lincoln are probably the only stations that will be using the pre-cast concrete segments for construction. Lafarge Lake uses precast concrete slabs (the segments for the tail tracks are already up), while the pillar for Coquitlam Station looks different from any other stations. Seems like gantry crane will only be used from the first pillar east of Coquitlam Station to about 2 pillars south of Guildford Way, where the track splits. Not sure what type of method they will be using for the elevated segment west of Coquitlam Station.

I'm thinking girders...with Lougheed style switches at coquitlam, and coming from grade...think vcc and commercial broadway...

[queetz@home]

Originally Posted by nname

Lincoln is almost the same as Burquitlam, so I guess they only need webcam for one of the station.

Lougheed is easily accessible so they probably thought they don't need.

Judging by the never ending discussions about Lougheed Station here in this forum, I don't understand why they didn't put a webcam there of all places. It is definitely the most interesting part of the line in terms of visual impact and progress. Even the tunnel portal doesn't show much since much of the work is inaccessible to public viewing.

Plus Burquitlam is where most of the action was for the past year. It could have generated more buzz and awareness for the project actually progressing amongst curious onlookers. Lincoln is actually fairly visible to a lot more people (because of Coquitlam Centre), so its impact when it comes to "general public interest" will not be as much as Burquitlam.

[GMasterAres]

Originally Posted by Olden Retreiver

The key point is that it didn't have to be this way at Lougheed. If the station were redesigned and built properly, it would be functional and would probably not be fugly either.

All to save a couple of dollars. And I can't imagine the savings are too great either, considering the extra complexities of construction.

If cost was the overriding concern, I'm not at all sure why it's necessary to add a 3rd platform at all considering the post-Evergreen frequency of traing coming in from Braid, and the volume of passengers.

Don't disagree. We build a lot of infrastructure in Metro Vancouver where stupid little decisions are made to safe a minor buck simply because it results in "inconvenience" for people even though in the future costs will be ridiculously high to remedy the issue.

Completely agree they had a chance to do it right now and should have.

[madog222]

Now what would be great is a web cam mounted on the gantry.

[jsbertram]

Starting May 5th for about 2 weeks Austin Avenue Between Gatineau Place and Lougheed Highway will be closed overnight for heavy steel work

Structural steel for the 3rd platform is getting installed.

more info at:

http://egrtconstruction.ca/media-centre/...een-gatineau-place-and-lougheed-highway/

[STEELWHEELS]

I have noticed that the guideway beam that had been dislodged
over Como Lake Ave. has been joined with concrete to the beams
on each side of it - effectively making one long beam over three support
pillars. I suspect the builders don't have full confidence the single beam
would have stayed in place in the long term.

[queetz@home]

Originally Posted by STEELWHEELS

I have noticed that the guideway beam that had been dislodged
over Como Lake Ave. has been joined with concrete to the beams
on each side of it - effectively making one long beam over three support
pillars. I suspect the builders don't have full confidence the single beam
would have stayed in place in the long term.

I noticed that too but I thought its just there to make it "pretty". Shortly after the weekend closure to fix it and prior to the concrete joining, I noted the dislodged gap at the Clarke Road side is still noticable (though fairly minor). I haven't seen them actually align the guideways 100% since I don't go in the area regularly.

Maybe they have aligned them 100% then joined them with concrete. But if that guideway gets dislodged again due to failure of its supports, I doubt the concrete joining them will be strong enough to hold together.

The last time I saw, it seemed that portion of the guideway is still using temporary jacks (or are they temporary jacks?). Are those jacks going to be there forever, perhaps covered in concrete later on?

[finalcoolman]

Originally Posted by queetz@home

I noticed that too but I thought its just there to make it "pretty". Shortly after the weekend closure to fix it and prior to the concrete joining, I noted the dislodged gap at the Clarke Road side is still noticable (though fairly minor). I haven't seen them actually align the guideways 100% since I don't go in the area regularly.

Maybe they have aligned them 100% then joined them with concrete. But if that guideway gets dislodged again due to failure of its supports, I doubt the concrete joining them will be strong enough to hold together.

The last time I saw, it seemed that portion of the guideway is still using temporary jacks (or are they temporary jacks?). Are those jacks going to be there forever, perhaps covered in concrete later on?

I drive under that almost every day. They are 100% aligned now and were prior to the concrete joining. The jacks are definitely temporary as they are currently building and pouring the permanent concrete pads in the space between the column and the guideway. After the pads are completed and cured they will lower the guideway onto the concrete pads and remove the temporary jacks and spacers. I recall the same construction methodology on some spots during Millennium Line construction.

[STEELWHEELS]

Looking at the pedestals at each end of the formerly dislodged beam, the
builders seem to be creating two rectangular support boxes, rather than
the usual four square boxes (one in each corner of the pedestal top).
Maybe this is for extra strength for the more complex geometry
of this beam?

[GMasterAres]

My wife and I went for a walk from Rocky Point along the Shoreline Trail today in Port Moody and its the first time we've been over to Port Moody since last summer actually so was really good to see all the progress. I'm actually quite amazed at the progress being made and think it is going to be a huge boon for the area especially Port Moody when it is done. I'd love to be able to hop SkyTrain to get to Port Moody because it is actually quite a stunning city from a nature and look wise.

[officedweller]

Link to an old pic by Busologist on Flickr - from April 13th, 2014
- but I don't think we've seen a pic of Burquitlam Station guideway construction:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/flyer_901/14083818406/in/set-72157644100633380

[queetz@home]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Link to an old pic by Busologist on Flickr - from April 13th, 2014
- but I don't think we've seen a pic of Burquitlam Station guideway construction:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/flyer_901/14083818406/in/set-72157644100633380

Grant Mattice has the best Evergreen Line construction photos out there, imo. The guy is a genuis when it comes to photography, and I may have even seen him taking snapshots at the Inlet Station area one time. So I check his site daily...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/grantmatticeimagescom/sets/72157639692025215/

Speaking of Inlet Station...notice that a "T" column for the overhead guideway crossing the tracks is up now, if you look at this photo carefully. No pitchforks from the Klahanie residents so far...

[Vantage]

They've just installed a tower crane at Port Moody Station.

[Olden Retreiver]

They didn't put a webcam at Lougheed because they're ashamed of it.