drum118
Superstar
No, St Clair was not straight before construction, but very few bends were hard to find.
The City instructed the contractor to change his attack on doing this project more times than enough.
The City sent out the survey team to layout out the construction points.
The contractor dug the track and road out as per the markings by the City.
Beacon acting as a sub contractor to Black & McDonald laid the conduit piping in the ROW base.
The contractor than place the water drains and marked out where the Vaults were to go and manhole frame based on City measurements. Once this was done, then the concrete base for the tracks was pour.
TTC crews came in after the base is pour to start placing the steel ties at X spacing. Sometimes, the ties ended up where a drain or manhole cover was forcing ties to be re-space or another one added. Rail in 100 meter lengths were place on top of the ties. The rail was fitted into the anchor slots and anchor into place. Track crews then started to level the rail and alignment of the rail according to City measurement. This was done in long section closing off various streets.
At Major intersections, it was close for a weekend while it was tore up and rebuilt with the rail in place as an on going process. In a few places, The City didn't allow this forcing the contractor to stop short of the intersection and start on the west side. Track was place on the west side and pour in place before the intersection was touch. TTC Crews would connect to the 2 sections already in place with the new track.
This process happen up to just before Oakwood Ave. The Contractor plan was to keep on going through Oakwood intersection without stopping. The City said no as they wanted either Glenholme of Northcliffe intersection open first before Oakwood could be touch. That never happen to the point Glenholme was finally open about 3 weeks after Oakwood was 100% done.
This meant that TTC had to moved the store rails west of Glenholme to another site near Oakwood. Extra cost doing this. At the same time, the contractor had to start work 600m west of Oakwood. The City was making changes on the fly.
The Contractor was almost complete getting Glenholme done when the City told the contractor to go over to Christie St to do that intersection. The City then said we are now going to do part of Oakwood Intersection.
With the rails store over by Oakwood, it came a mess for traffic on St Clair trying to go from one side of the street to the other and than back is a short confined space.
On and on I could go, but at the end of the day, The City cause this mess. I don't know the contractor nor have I worked for the City thankful, But I know construction screw ups when I see them from past experience on job sites.
TTC is some what at fault by not having a project manger saying these errors are unacceptable and fix it before our rails are pour or place.
This is the results of trying to cow bow to traffic and on street parking.
Traffic cannot make turn as cars/trucks are parked where they should not be in the first place.
Rail can be bent after one section is pour and wood bracing is used to force the unpour tracks over to be were they are supposed to be.
All manholes are supposed to be dead centre of the tracks or between the 2 tracks, but there a numerous ones within a few inches of the rail where a bend is taking place and that saying Oppss!!>
As a note, overhead wires have now been installed to Dufferin St from Robina Ave, but string tie to the support brackets.
Take a look at what was done at Dufferin St the past few week to the platforms and the street corners 18 months after they were built and no service to the platforms yet. Oppps!!
