ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[BuildingScout]

I saw a crew from GrandLinq doing ground marking on Northfield between Conestogo and King just last week. Looks like work will start there this season.

[Canard]

Some photos from Columbia.  The new tracks sitting on top of the old tracks will be slid into place shortly (I would imagine before Monday AM).  Crews were out today tamping the top surface of soil so all the underground work must be complete.  The longer ties (starting about a third from the right in the photo) are for supporting the concrete plates that form the roadway interface.

   

   

The third and final building is now up at the Operations, Maintenance and Storage Facility, too!  So that's 2 new structures up in as many weeks.  They're just flying.

   

   

[Pheidippides]

Some photos from Columbia.  The new tracks sitting on top of the old tracks will be slid into place shortly (I would imagine before Monday AM).  Crews were out today tamping the top surface of soil so all the underground work must be complete.  The longer ties (starting about a third from the right in the photo) are for supporting the concrete plates that form the roadway interface.

Is this weekend of the big the 88-hour push?

[Canard]

I notice that the tower crane is gone at the Operations, Maintenance and Storage Facility.

Yeah - the main hall is structurally complete now!

[timc]

Some photos from Columbia.  The new tracks sitting on top of the old tracks will be slid into place shortly (I would imagine before Monday AM).  Crews were out today tamping the top surface of soil so all the underground work must be complete.  The longer ties (starting about a third from the right in the photo) are for supporting the concrete plates that form the roadway interface.

Is this weekend of the big the 88-hour push?

I think it's the second of two such weekends.

[Canard]

The tracks have been out for more than a week now, at least - last weekend, it was a massive chasm. I have to imagine that CN is likely getting anxious to have their track back... especially if there's a daily night train that needs to use the tracks, as we've seen reported elsewhere. So it could be that this is the 88-hour push, but what's another day when it's already been down for at least a week, is kinda what I'm thinking.

[ijmorlan]

The tracks have been out for more than a week now, at least - last weekend, it was a massive chasm.  I have to imagine that CN is likely getting anxious to have their track back... especially if there's a daily night train that needs to use the tracks, as we've seen reported elsewhere.  So it could be that this is the 88-hour push, but what's another day when it's already been down for at least a week, is kinda what I'm thinking.

I don’t know exactly what they have done and when, but I’m pretty sure there have been trains this past week. We think of tracks as permanent but to crews with the right tools, it’s not hard at all to put in a temporary track and rip it out again a few days later. The train passes about 30m from my house so I tend to notice when there are and are not trains running.

[Canard]

They must have dug up and then filled in that massive chasm pretty quick last weekend; it was so deep that there was a backhoe in there with just the top of the arm sticking out! I only go up that way on weekends usually to see what's going on, so it's certainly plausible that they filled it all back in and dragged the old piece of track back over.

If that's the case, I'd likely expect to see them putting the new (concrete sleeper) track into place today. It was sitting on top of the old tracks yesterday afternoon, waiting to be slid into place.

[Pheidippides]

http://rideion.ca/construction-updates.html

Construction Update
CLOSED INTERSECTION - Columbia and CN railway tracks - 

After discussions with the City of Waterloo and Waterloo North Hydro the closure at the intersection of Columbia and CN railway tracks, in Waterloo will be extended until approximately June 30 to accommodate Waterloo North Hydro’s work. GrandLinq Contractors will continue to work in the area during this time.

This work will still involve a closure of the CN railway tracks for approximately an 88 hour period this weekend June 19-22. 
Crews will work around the clock during this closure.

[Markster]

 I only go up that way on weekends usually to see what's going on, so it's certainly plausible that they filled it all back in and dragged the old piece of track back over.

I saw them on monday bringing the old track back into place.

[Spokes]

The fact that this ass**** gets paid for this crap is further proof of what a rag The Record is.

Can someone here who is good at that sort of thing please write a letter to the editor completly shredding his article?

Since he's married to the editor, he can do pretty much whatever he wants and is untouchable.  Sad.

[ookpik]

The fact that this ass**** gets paid for this crap is further proof of what a rag The Record is.

Can someone here who is good at that sort of thing please write a letter to the editor completly shredding his article?

Since he's married to the editor, he can do pretty much whatever he wants and is untouchable.  Sad.

What's even sadder is that her and his masters at TorStar would tolerate this. Perhaps the editor/publisher to whom a letter needs to be written is in Toronto, not Kitchener.

[timio]

Well, that lasted long. Caroline was dug up again today at William. They were packing the dirt around some sort of utility conduit about 6' below the surface this afternoon.

It looks as though they're putting in the storm sewer along the east side of Caroline towards the Laurel Creek culvert. At the culvert, they've finally attached the first segment of concrete pipe to the side.

[Canard]

The last ion update specifically mentioned the burying of the utility duct system. I imagine it carries the thick power distribution cables and communications network for the block system:

On June 1, the Caroline and William intersection was closed temporarily and will remain closed until approximately July 17
This closure has been extended to accommodate additional work in the intersection which will shorten the overall duration the intersection will need to be closed over the next few months
The underground wet utility work including watermain, storm sewer, and sanitary service will be completed
Additionally, we will install the underground infrastructure for traffic signals, street lights and the underground cable system (duct bank system)

[timio]

They were installing what I could only assume is part of the duct bank system across Caroline at Alexandra this morning.

The temporary asphalt at Fr. David Bauer and Caroline was being dug up and work was continuing on the connection to the Laurel Creek culvert.

Work was beginning on the south bank of Laurel Creek in Waterloo Park, likely in preparation for the new bridge across the creek.

The track crossing from Ring Road closed today for 3 weeks to install the new crossings.