ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[Canard]

Yeah... That was my thought, too. I can't believe they'd do it 98% then stop, reopen it.. Just to close it again. What on Earth is going on here??

[tomh009]

I think it's all about scheduling the work. Maybe the track-laying crews and/or machines weren't available yet (they are surely different crews than the ones doing the paving) -- or is track being laid somewhere else at the moment?

And getting traffic flowing again on Charles (from Water to Borden?) will be a big plus.

[Canard]

You're likely right. Not enough hands! The Ballasted track crew is working on the Huron Spur now (including the Fairway hydro ROW), and the two embedded track crews (last time I saw) are working at King in midtown and up at Allen, and down near Borden.

[chutten]

And they'll be tied up at Carloine/Erb shortly. I saw them digging the NBound track's railbed down to grade this morning: a trench extending its way diagonally across the intersection. Coupled with the carrier wire being strung all the way south through the park past the tensioners and to the old Waterloo Train Station, we're getting close to seeing visible work being done there.

[tomh009]

Based on that, it makes sense to finish the paving on Charles and get the streets open. Laying the tracks on Charles (across Queen and Benton) and pouring the concrete shouldn't require a long closure later on.

[Square]

The Region road closures has Queen and Charles intersection closed till July 7th!

[tomh009]

Yes ... RideION has the same update now. I hope that means the track will get laid and concrete poured by then:
http://rideion.ca/traffic-updates.html

[KevinL]

Based on that, it makes sense to finish the paving on Charles and get the streets open.  Laying the tracks on Charles (across Queen and Benton) and pouring the concrete shouldn't require a long closure later on.

No need to pour across Benton - that was one of the first completed embeds, in fact.

[GtwoK]

Track going in across Duke. I think I finally understand what they're planning with the detour here, considering track was never laid across Water; once embedding is done across Duke here, the detour will divert down Duke to Victoria, so track can be laid across Water. That makes a lot more sense!



Sidewalks also going in along Duke



I'm up north this weekend, so I won't be able to do my usual long walk through of the route. Counting on your Saturday morning photos, Canard!

[tomh009]

Cat poles ready to be installed, at the Gaukel St bus depot:

   


Lane markings now painted at Charles & Ontario:

   

[KevinL]

Cat poles ready to be installed, at the Gaukel St bus depot

Cat poles are different; they're metal and have a bottom plate for bolt holes. These are standard utility/light poles of post-tensioned concrete.

[tomh009]

Really? I thought the utility/light poles were galvanized steel?

[Canard]

Sometimes galvanized, sometimes concrete.

Catpoles are either dark grey painted round steel columns, or W-Section ("I-Beams") on the spurs.

[tomh009]

Oh well, another false cat pole sighting! Hopefully the real ones will show up soon in the downtown sections.

[Pheidippides]

King at William today: