ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[Square]

Canard : I guess they will have some new traffic signals on the BRT route after all according to this link http://rapidtransit.regionofwaterloo.ca/...ations.pdf

[taylortbb]

I hear you on the practically of custom engineering every tie at a crossover or switch (I'm a mechanical designer), but that's what they've done for the gauntlet track switches (all those ties have a unique part number and are just slightly different). I'd really be surprised if the crossover ended up being wood in the end! I'll have to review and see what's done elsewhere; I don't remember ever seeing a predominantly concrete-tied system switch back to wood for crossovers in my travels.

I knew I'd seen the use of wood for special work somewhere and finally remembered, it was for the TTC streetcar network at http://stevemunro.ca/2009/10/25/streetca...2010-2014/ . It's a bit different as it's embedded track, and switching between steel and wood rather than concrete and wood.

I went looking in the project agreement for details though and you're right, it is temporary. Schedule 15-2 Article 12 Section 10 (e) (iv) C says "All mainline ballasted special trackwork shall use concrete ties. " That's page 24 of the Schedule 15-2 Article 12 PDF on the region's website.

It does give some allowance to Grandlinq for use of wooden ties, saying only "It is preferred that wood ties only be used in those locations which involve only freight railroad service tracks or LRT tracks in the OMSF. " I'm not sure how strongly Grandlinq interprets "preferred" in this context.

[chutten]

I think Erb/Caroline, Northfied/King North, and King/Victoria will be the most impressive intersection construction projects to watch out for.  So much volume through all 3 of those (especially Northfield/King North).

Simply the widening+services work going on in the stretch of Northfield from Colby to King has been an absolute nightmare, Westbound. Eastbound is always easier as people wanting to head North can take the 85 and South can take Conestogo Road behind Kraus Carpets.

King & Northfield being down for days? Ick. Very ick. Not relishing any of the Northfield work from a traffic point-of-view, but that intersection especially.

It's going to be worth it, but growing pains suck.

[timc]

I think Erb/Caroline, Northfied/King North, and King/Victoria will be the most impressive intersection construction projects to watch out for.  So much volume through all 3 of those (especially Northfield/King North).

Simply the widening+services work going on in the stretch of Northfield from Colby to King has been an absolute nightmare, Westbound. Eastbound is always easier as people wanting to head North can take the 85 and South can take Conestogo Road behind Kraus Carpets.

King & Northfield being down for days? Ick. Very ick. Not relishing any of the Northfield work from a traffic point-of-view, but that intersection especially.

It's going to be worth it, but growing pains suck.

Cycling across Northfield is exciting in the best of conditions. Running the gauntlet lately has been a challenge. Is there a planned full closure?

[BuildingScout]

The use of wooden ties makes me believe this is just temporary...

Drove past Columbia today and the Northbound track now presently turns and connects to the Southbound track there. I am assuming this is where the wooden ties were laid down and it is thus definitely a temporary arrangement.

[GtwoK]

With KW Hydro "Relocating the existing pole lines" between Union and Green, does that mean they will be burying the hydro wires? The construction updates claim they are installing "ductwork" starting today. I would imagine that if they were simply moving the poles, it would have been done at the beginning of all the utility work, like it was on Charles and most other sections.

[Canard]

"Ductwork" would sort of suggest it's being moved underground.

I can't find a Green Street anywhere on my map - nowhere near Union... what am I missing? I assume this is along King Street near the hospital?

[ijmorlan]

"Ductwork" would sort of suggest it's being moved underground.

I can't find a Green Street anywhere on my map - nowhere near Union... what am I missing?  I assume this is along King Street near the hospital?

Immediately East (Kitchener East!) of the hospital. It only runs from King to Park so it’s easy to miss.

Re: ductwork, I saw them putting in some beside the LRT on campus and they seem to be running 16 conduits. The concrete boxes have openings in a 4x4 grid. I’d be interested to know what they all are — I can think of a few possibilities e.g., traction power, signal power, signals, lighting, …, but I can’t get to 16.

[Canard]

Probably lots of spares

[KevinL]

Re: ductwork, I saw them putting in some beside the LRT on campus and they seem to be running 16 conduits. The concrete boxes have openings in a 4x4 grid.

Saw a number of the same boxes on Charles by Cedar.

[Pheidippides]

I am having trouble understanding the final design plan for the Laurier-Waterloo Park station.

This is a view from the former path looking north toward Seagram. It looks like they are building a stormwater pond right where I would expect steps down from the station to the path - based on the last drawings I saw - or a regrading to provide for a ramp instead.


No 6-month update in the council agenda for next week either.

Also, I am wondering if the King underpass will be able to meet the 18 month closure window. I think it closed March 23, 2015 which means they expected it to reopen in September of 2016, but they haven't even started yet. The Weber underpass was 18 months of steady work (June 2013 to Dec 2014) and still has incomplete elements nearly a year later, and the King job seems much bigger and more complicated, although the need to keep it open like they did for Weber is not present which should speed things a bit.

[GtwoK]

Also, I am wondering if the King underpass will be able to meet the 18 month closure window. I think it closed March 23, 2015 which means they expected it to reopen in September of 2016, but they haven't even started yet. The Weber underpass was 18 months of steady work (June 2013 to Dec 2014) and still has incomplete elements nearly a year later, and the King job seems much bigger and more complicated, although the need to keep it open like they did for Weber is not present which should speed things a bit.

You've got the dates mixed up — the road is scheduled to be closed until December of next year, which is 3 extra months than the September that you were thinking

Walked down King from Green - Union tonight to check out the road. Looking very spiffy! Especially the retaining walls in front of the church / KCI, will look great when they are finished. Only thing I'm questioning is the King St entrance to the hospital; the plans indicate it's supposed to be closed (and it would make sense, considering that's where the station will be), but the new curbs they've installed leave an opening for vehicle access. 2 of them, actually! A 2 lane entrance, and a 1 lane entrance about 10 meters North of it (though this one has no vehicle/pavement ramp leading up to it on the hospital side, like the 2 lane one does — possibly a pedestrian crossing to get to the station in the median of the road.)

Were plans changed, or will they be demolishing the curbs here to RE-repave them without the entrance?

And aside: It seems like the reason only the southbound side was paved was probably because of the underground installation of the hydro — the northbound side will likely be paved following the completion of that.

[tomh009]

Maybe an entrance for emergency vehicles only?

[Canard]

I think it closed March 23, 2015 which means they expected it to reopen in September of 2016, but they haven't even started yet.

King Street "closed" around March or so, but you could still drive over the tracks.  They only finally terminated all access across the tracks a few weeks ago.  They had a 3-week period where they had to wait between the closing and any work, as per Transport Canada regulations, and they also probably have to wait for the new tail track switch on Park to be completed for GO before they can do any work at the underpass.  They're probably also doing lots of "invisible" work that just isn't so obvious.

I too am confused by the Seagram setup. There are lots of spots though along the line that I'm finding are quite a bit different from what I would have expected to see, based on the plans. I've had a tab opened permanently on my phone with the Region's PDF's for the Functional Design Plans for a year or two now.

[Pheidippides]

Also, I am wondering if the King underpass will be able to meet the 18 month closure window. I think it closed March 23, 2015 which means they expected it to reopen in September of 2016, but they haven't even started yet. The Weber underpass was 18 months of steady work (June 2013 to Dec 2014) and still has incomplete elements nearly a year later, and the King job seems much bigger and more complicated, although the need to keep it open like they did for Weber is not present which should speed things a bit.

You've got the dates mixed up — the road is scheduled to be closed until December of next year, which is 3 extra months than the September that you were thinking

You are correct. The dates I was looking at in different articles and reports referenced the March 23, 2015 closure, but looking at the rideion tumblr feed the intersection didn't actually close until June 8, 2015. This actually re-affirms my thought that the "late 2016" completion won't be met. The start dates may have shifted, but one thing that has remained consistent is that it is an 18 month project, so whether they start digging in March, June, or September 2015 it is scheduled to take 18 months which would currently put the project into 2017-Q1 completion.

Driving down Strange this evening it looked like traffic was moving across the tracks at Park again.