I wonder if a short tunnel under the CP tracks would have been at all feasible?
I don't think so.
It doesn't just cross the CP mainline, but also the subdivision out to IOCO. That spur is right next to the the overpass where the inlet station is going to be. And right near there is a little bog/creek, that I think the city intends to leave as green space.
You can't go under that spur as to get up to the right level for the station under the overpass you would need to come up right out of that marshy bog/creek. You would need to destroy that little piece of nature, instead of just having a pillar in the middle of it.
I also think that if the spur was not in that location, that building at ground level would also have been disruptive to the environment, and because of the ground condition, much more expensive.
These are some pictures I took a month ago from the WCE. Honestly it is not that high, and quite a fair distance from the exiting condos.
^ Those columns look awfully skinny compared to the standard ones we see for the concrete box-girder guideways. I'm certain that the engineers did the math, so my 'those are sure thin' first impression is of very limited merit.
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Last edited by SFUVancouver; Apr 28, 2015 at 12:50 AM.
My guess is that off top the left of the 1st pic there's another beefier 4 column "bent" support where the guideway crosses the CP tracks and the intermediate ones don't need to be as sturdy (wrt rotational stability) as for an uninterrupted stretch of single columns.
Couldn't they have build Inlet Centre Station on the south side of the tracks avoiding the need to hope over the CPR tracks until later down the road where it elevates for Coquitlam Centre? Sure the station would have been an additional few metres from the built up core. But considering PoMo didn't even want a station near NewPort via the original alignment option down Guildford Way, what's a few extra metres?
Well, I might as well weigh in on a subject that's come up in a couple different ways here on the last few pages: I think the "standard" elevated guideways are hideous and oppressive, and I'm very glad there are none of them anywhere near my home. By contrast, I find the short elevated sections in Port Moody near Andres Wines and from Klahanie to Ioco to be relatively elegant and attractive.
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Well, I might as well weigh in on a subject that's come up in a couple different ways here on the last few pages: I think the "standard" elevated guideways are hideous and oppressive, and I'm very glad there are none of them anywhere near my home. By contrast, I find the short elevated sections in Port Moody near Andres Wines and from Klahanie to Ioco to be relatively elegant and attractive.
I agree, but it's a tradeoff between speed of construction versus pillar size. The precast chunks like Millennium and most of Evergreen allow it to be built much quicker, with less road disruptions.
The smaller profile guideway like Expo and some parts of Evergreen indeed look nicer, but it's more of a pain to move around the much longer guideway pieces.
What if they toned the concrete batches/painted the guideway exterior to a color shade that would allow them to better blend in to the area? Expo guideway sections are a lot more tan in color and seem to blend in.
What if they toned the concrete batches/painted the guideway exterior to a color shade that would allow them to better blend in to the area? Expo guideway sections are a lot more tan in color and seem to blend in.
It would be nice if they colored the concrete somewhat. A more beigy or tan color would be much softer on the eyes and less cold.
I thought it was more weathering and age than anything. On the front steps of my house for example, the concrete that's under an awning is a new Skytrain guideway grey, while the concrete that's not under an awning is tan. I just powerwashed everything last weekend so it looks clean but the the colour difference is obvious.
What if they toned the concrete batches/painted the guideway exterior to a color shade that would allow them to better blend in to the area? Expo guideway sections are a lot more tan in color and seem to blend in.
The Expo guideways are more tan in color likely because they are older and weathered.
Painting the guideways is a terrible idea because then the paint gets old and peals and will look even worse. They would forever be repainting them, and it would make removing tags even more difficult.
I think they look just fine and add a nice urban touch / layer to the city. It is great to have mass transit grade separated and visible.
All I want is for them to remove any grafitti / tags in a quick and thurow manner. Keep the guideways clean.
Painting the guideways is a terrible idea because then the paint gets old and peals and will look even worse. They would forever be repainting them, and it would make removing tags even more difficult.
You don't have to paint the concrete - the colouring can be added when the concrete is mixed. The result will last indefinitely because it becomes the colour of the concrete itself. That's how Vancouver's new Cambie Street bridge was built.
West of Moody Centre, column for future Moray-Clarke connector?
Great update.
I think this column is a just-in-case Moody Overpass collapses. It sits within inches of the overpass and is very beefy. In a worst-case-scenario rubble will land on the tracks but the tracks would remain intact.
I like the incorporation of all the wood in the stations, very West Coast.
Curious how the IB and OB platform roofs at Coq Central are pitched the same way. I wouldn't think they would have been designed more symmetrical and pitched away from the building (like the north side).
Interesting how at Moody Centre the stairs to WCE are split into 3 levels. so will be quite the gambit as people race up them in the afternoon and down in the morning.
Last edited by TransitJack; Apr 30, 2015 at 4:44 PM.
Reason: Moody Mention
I think this column is a just-in-case Moody Overpass collapses. It sits within inches of the overpass and is very beefy. In a worst-case-scenario rubble will land on the tracks but the tracks would remain intact.
That's an odd one... That's a lot of concrete for "Just in Case" and would only partially support the overpass. Perhaps its actually to accommodate a future upgrade to this overpass? Centre support is already in place.
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