Millennium Line - Evergreen Extension | Completed

[dpogue]

Video from yesterday morning approaching Lougheed Station. Apologies for the quality, I swear the train window had never been washed


I also took some photos of the station construction:

The mall-side west entrance.


The platform-level glass from behind. (That support pad for the original roof design looks so out of place )


The west side platform entrance area.


The new down-escalator being installed to service the existing platforms in the west station house.


The west side platform entrance area, from the existing platform.


Designated side walkways being installed on the new outbound guideway.


Not nearly as much progress on the east station house.

I'm still hoping that at some point they paint all the metal surfaces of the new platform with the same grey colour as the existing station, but I'm not counting on it. They're also using much more generic-looking supports for the glass panels than the semi-iconic ones throughout the rest of the station. I fear this is definitely going to look like an obvious addition at the end, rather than a seamless extension

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by dpogue

I also took some photos of the station construction:

The platform-level glass from behind. (That support pad for the original roof design looks so out of place )

They're also using much more generic-looking supports for the glass panels than the semi-iconic ones throughout the rest of the station. I fear this is definitely going to look like an obvious addition at the end, rather than a seamless extension

is there a reason why they didn't go with the original design? since it was already roughed in why not just continue with the original plans. they obviously had them in a book somewhere. they could have just blown the dust off and have been done.

[Meraki]

Originally Posted by VancouverOfTheFuture

is there a reason why they didn't go with the original design? since it was already roughed in why not just continue with the original plans. they obviously had them in a book somewhere. they could have just blown the dust off and have been done.

The architects of it were part of the consortium that lost to SNC-Lavalin.

[Metro-One]

They should put a lamp post or a sign or something on that unused support, just to make it blend in. Heck, even a potted plant on top would make it look better.

[queetz@home]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

They should put a lamp post or a sign or something on that unused support, just to make it blend in. Heck, even a potted plant on top would make it look better.

Nuts to that! That little piece of ugliness should remain as a constant reminder of Ujahl Dosanj's greatest f*ckup for not building the line as scheduled, or at the very least allowing Translink to collect that measley $75 vehicle levy while they were in power.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

They should put a lamp post or a sign or something on that unused support, just to make it blend in. Heck, even a potted plant on top would make it look better.

Agreed, an art piece would look good.

Originally Posted by dpogue

Designated side walkways being installed on the new outbound guideway.
(

They'd have to have emergency catwalks on each of the [uneven] single track guideways - until they merge at North Road.

[dpogue]

Originally Posted by officedweller

They'd have to have emergency catwalks on each of the [uneven] single track guideways - until they merge at North Road.

It appears that the walkways will the on the left side (from the perspective of looking east from the Lougheed platform) of the outbound guideway all the way around the curve. For the inbound guideway they start off on the left due to the walkways for the existing M-Line inbound track, but it looks like they'll move to the right about mid-curve. Once it straightens out along North Road, they should both join as a centre walkway until the switches at Burquitlam.

[nname]

I think we all already know, but here is the official current TBM location

Seems like its about 1/3 completed.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by dpogue

It appears that the walkways will the on the left side (from the perspective of looking east from the Lougheed platform) of the outbound guideway all the way around the curve. For the inbound guideway they start off on the left due to the walkways for the existing M-Line inbound track, but it looks like they'll move to the right about mid-curve. Once it straightens out along North Road, they should both join as a centre walkway until the switches at Burquitlam.

Thanks.
I was trying to see where it was on your video and was wondering if there was enough space between the guideways for a single catwalk.

[dpogue]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Thanks.
I was trying to see where it was on your video and was wondering if there was enough space between the guideways for a single catwalk.

I might stand corrected about the walkway changing sides on the inbound guideway. There were some safety supports along the side that looked like walkways, but it seems both walkways will be fully on the inside of the curve.

But you are definitely not the only one questioning the space constraints of those walkways

[officedweller]

Nice that the outside of the curve will remain clean-looking.

[queetz@home]

From Tri Cities Now...

http://www.thenownews.com/news/traffic-t...-around-evergreen-construction-1.1651411

As for 2015, the first part of the year will be spent completing the elevated guideways, boring the tunnel and finishing the at-grade guideway along the rail line. Once those jobs are complete, the focus will be on installing the track and systems and outfitting the stations, with work on the plazas and landscaping to be done later in the year.

By the second half of 2015, residents should start to see the first trains being tested on the track.

Any chance they can start service by labour day of 2015?

[SOSS]

With the tunnel only 1/3 excavated, I'd imagine we're only going to see trains being tested to the first station by the time-frame they've outlined. They can't install anything within the tunnel until Alice is done.

[Kwik-E-Mart]

Originally Posted by queetz@home

From Tri Cities Now...

http://www.thenownews.com/news/traffic-t...-around-evergreen-construction-1.1651411



Any chance they can start service by labour day of 2015?

By second half, it can be anywhere between July to December 2015.

Track testing and system integration can take several months. Even if all the tracks are laid by July 1, 2015, there is still not enough time for them to open the line on Labour Day.

Most likely scenario will be
1. Track testing by September or October. Also will ask EGRT to speed up construction of stations, if they are behind schedule.
2. Line opening by April 2016, a few days to the provincial election date.
3. More brownie points for Christy for completing the line early.

[jsbertram]

Originally Posted by Kwik-E-Mart

By second half, it can be anywhere between July to December 2015.

Track testing and system integration can take several months. Even if all the tracks are laid by July 1, 2015, there is still not enough time for them to open the line on Labour Day.

Most likely scenario will be
1. Track testing by September or October. Also will ask EGRT to speed up construction of stations, if they are behind schedule.
2. Line opening by April 2016, a few days to the provincial election date.
3. More brownie points for Christy for completing the line early.

Isn't the next BC election May, 2017?
Still gives Clark & co a lot of time to say "do you like the new Evergreen line? You want more transit? re-elect us!"

[aberdeen5698]

Originally Posted by jsbertram

Isn't the next BC election May, 2017?
Still gives Clark & co a lot of time to say ... You want more transit? re-elect us!"

That'd be nice change...

[adrianroam95]

I was unable to take a picture, but as of this afternoon, they were connecting guideway segments over Barnet Highway at Pinetree Way. Exciting to see the progress they're making with the guideway.

[Kwik-E-Mart]

Originally Posted by jsbertram

Isn't the next BC election May, 2017?
Still gives Clark & co a lot of time to say "do you like the new Evergreen line? You want more transit? re-elect us!"

Whoops, my bad!

Originally Posted by adrianroam95

I was unable to take a picture, but as of this afternoon, they were connecting guideway segments over Barnet Highway at Pinetree Way. Exciting to see the progress they're making with the guideway.

Voila! (Credit: me)

[SOSS]

Wow that was fast. I drove past there just Friday morning and there was nothing. Now look. Crazy fast.

[SOSS]

So happy we're not having Bertha issues with Alice (unless they're not telling us).

Sinking soil halts work at Seattle tunnel repair project

SEATTLE (AP) - There are more problems for the Highway 99 tunnel project beneath downtown Seattle, as engineers study whether settling soil means work should be altered on a pit being dug to reach a stalled digging machine known as Bertha.

Tests over the weekend showed the settling around the pit is uneven, the Department of Transportation said.

No differential settling, which is potentially risky for structures, was detected on the Alaskan Way Viaduct, which remains safe for travel, the department said Monday.

The settling near the pit is apparently the result of groundwater pumped out by Seattle Tunnel Partners as it digs a 120-foot access pit to reach and replace the damaged head of the boring machine.

Bertha overheated and stopped a year ago. It has drilled about 10 percent of the way into a planned 2-mile tunnel to replace the viaduct.

State engineers are analyzing the settling data to make sure the pit, viaduct and nearby buildings are secure. On Sunday, the state said pumping necessary to reduce water pressure on the pit would be stopped. However on Monday, Laura Newborn, spokeswoman for the viaduct replacement project, said the dewatering was continuing.

Seattle Tunnel Partners had told the state it planned to resume tunneling in April on the $2 billion project. It's already about a year behind schedule. The opening was previously scheduled for December 2015.

Bertha is stuck about 60 feet under a street not far from the Seattle waterfront. To remove the 57-foot diameter cutting head, the 80-foot-diameter access pit needs to be about 120 feet deep. It's currently about 70 feet deep.

Engineers last week said the viaduct had sunk about an inch in the past month. That's in addition to earlier sinking after the 2001 Nisqually earthquake.

The risk of the 61-year-old viaduct collapsing in an earthquake is one reason the state pushed for the tunnel replacement project to carry Highway 99 traffic through the city. The viaduct carries about 100,000 vehicles a day.

Work on the access pit was stopped for several weeks this fall after clam shells were uncovered. Experts determined they were not archaeologically significant.