GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

[EnviroTO]

The weathering steel is leaving rust stains on the murals and cement.

Brock Ave is getting a new bridge this weekend. Whenever the Google satellite pics get updated next there sure will be a lot of new things to see.

 

[smallspy]

The weathering steel is leaving rust stains on the murals and cement.

Yes, it does do that. An expected side effect, unfortunately. Your only other option is to use non-weathering steels and then paint them every couple of years to protect them.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[EnviroTO]

They are really whipping through the East Corridor Bridges now. Queen Street bridges happen this weekend and Brock Ave happened last weekend. That leaves only Bloor. Unfortunately the benefits of these project need to wait on the Strachan grade separation to provide any benefit.

 

[Northern Light]

From GO's 2011-2012 Budget, just published as part of the Metrolinx Agenda, for the April 28 meeting...

Capital priorities (for expansion)

Increase number of twelve car trains
-Extend station platforms, purchase additional rail cars
-Start work on extension of Richmond Hill service to Gormley
-Signals on Barrie & Stouffville corridors for reliability & additional service
-New parking at Ajax, Clarkson, Cooksville, Erindale, Oakville, Centennial
-Union Station start work on new concourse and new south platform
-Design of East Rail Maintenance Facility
-Expansion of Bus & Rail Fleets
-Start construction of East Bus Maintenance Facility
- Extend GO service to Kitchener (2 trains by Dec 2011)
-Continue work on Mississauga Transitway

The one that caught my eye here was the Richmond Hill extension.......

 

[drum118]

I am out in Burlington next Thursday and plan on getting more shots of the work;

We are in the process of building a pedestrian bridge at the Burlington GO Station and have reached the point where the bridge must now be lifted into place. As a result, this evening, Friday, April 29th, the tracks at the Burlington GO must be closed to train traffic and the last two trains on the Lakeshore West line; the 23:43 and 00:43 train trips, from Union to Aldershot will both terminate at the Appleby GO Station. Passengers travelling further west to Burlington and onward, will be accommodated by GO Bus Service. We thank you for your patience as we work to improve passenger access at the Burlington GO Station.

 

[drum118]

There will be no building of the plan walkway over Hurontario St at Cooksville Station this year as plan.

It has been delay until Metrolinx comes up with a plan for the new station, tracks and hub. Thats a few years down the road.

There will most likely be a new stop light at John St to allow prople to cross the road to get to/from the station for the 19N bus. It going to catch a fair number of speeder heading south by surprised.

It is also time MT that put in the stop there for the 202, that I called for before it every hit the road as well since then. It will encourage more people north of Sq One to leave their cars at home considering a number would if the 202 stop there now.

 

[drum118]

Was in Burlington today and the walkway bridge is not installed.

Don't know why it didn't happen last week as plan, but the Kiss and Ride is closed starting Friday until Monday. It going up this weekend.

The form work is in place to support the new stairs to the platforms and looks like they will be using steel for the stairs.

Will not be back out this way until June.

It took us an extra 20 minutes to go from Aldershot to PC, as we crawl from Burlington to Bronte on track 3 doing 15-20 mph, due tie work. No problem going west on tracks 2 and 1, other than at PC.

Things are moving ahead on the new south platform for Clarkson and will post the video on Friday.

 

[Mapleson]

That was true before Metrolinx bought the line. After you actually buy the line you are fully responsible for it.

Corridor ownership is much more complicated than full responsibility or ownership. For example, when the rail crosses a road at grade, the railroad is only responsible for the road between the rails and not the segment between multiple sets of tracks. In the same way, the Rail Authority and Road Authority split ownership and responsiblity for grade seperated structures basically on a deck-up, deck-down basis. If you have any documentation to say otherwise, I'd be very interested to see it so I could defend such a stance against Metrolinx in the future.

They are really whipping through the East Corridor Bridges now. Queen Street bridges happen this weekend and Brock Ave happened last weekend. That leaves only Bloor. Unfortunately the benefits of these project need to wait on the Strachan grade separation to provide any benefit.

I believe there are geotechnical concerns at Bloor. The original bridge footing was designed back in the 1930s (maximum design possibility as double E65) and there are questions about if it can sustain E100 loading with the new footings added.

 

[Mapleson]

That was true before Metrolinx bought the line. After you actually buy the line you are fully responsible for it.

Corridor ownership is much more complicated than full responsibility or ownership. For example, when the rail crosses a road at grade, the railroad is only responsible for the road between the rails and not the segment between multiple sets of tracks. In the same way, the Rail Authority and Road Authority split ownership and responsiblity for grade seperated structures basically on a deck-up, deck-down basis. If you have any documentation to say otherwise, I'd be very interested to see it so I could defend such a stance against Metrolinx in the future.

They are really whipping through the East Corridor Bridges now. Queen Street bridges happen this weekend and Brock Ave happened last weekend. That leaves only Bloor. Unfortunately the benefits of these project need to wait on the Strachan grade separation to provide any benefit.

I believe there are geotechnical concerns at Bloor. The original bridge footing was designed back in the 1930s (maximum design possibility as double E65) and there are questions about if it can sustain E100 loading with the new footings added.

 

[drum118]

May 05
The 4th floor and ramp were really empty and no new cars since this strcture open.

It is possible that precast stairs can be used here in place of the steel ones as I noted before for the new +30 walkway

Clarkson Station
[video=youtube;-a-69xO7MhY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a-69xO7MhY[/video]

 

[TOareaFan]

May 05
The 4th floor and ramp were really empty and no new cars since this strcture open.

The massive Mexican population in Burlington meant everyone stayed home to celebrate cinco de mayo

 

[EnviroTO]

Corridor ownership is much more complicated than full responsibility or ownership. For example, when the rail crosses a road at grade, the railroad is only responsible for the road between the rails and not the segment between multiple sets of tracks. In the same way, the Rail Authority and Road Authority split ownership and responsiblity for grade seperated structures basically on a deck-up, deck-down basis. If you have any documentation to say otherwise, I'd be very interested to see it so I could defend such a stance against Metrolinx in the future.

What? I was responding to a discussion about a bridge which is not an at grade crossing. Public at grade crossings have joint responsibility between the roadway authority and the railway authority... but that has nothing to do with the discussion. There is an authority responsible for inspecting each bridge and if no agreements were made otherwise it typically falls to the party responsible for building the bridge in the first place (note that running surfaces such as the trackbed and asphalt are not usually considered part of the structure). However, any of the bridges CP/CN were responsible for maintaining along lines that Metrolinx has taken over Metrolinx is now responsible for maintaining, and all of the bridges Metrolinx builds they are responsible for maintaining. If somehow it wasn't the responsibility of the builder to maintain their bridge then that would reward shoddy construction which makes no sense whatever. Metrolinx bought the line and is building bridges... they are responsible.

 

[khris]

Well, obviously it was overbuilt to allow for room in the future. Why build for just today's demand, right?

 

[drum118]

May 8
Stop by the Sheppard underpass today and not much to report on it, as very little has taken place since my last visited.

TTC has installed a westbound stop at the traffic light as well reactivated the bus shelter to the west of this stop. The closes eastbound stop is over 2 blocks to the west of this light and no reason why a stop cannot be added here to service the GO station as well the local residents if they can put in an westbound stop.

A few shots today of the new Bloor St track 6.

 

[Mapleson]

What? I was responding to a discussion about a bridge which is not an at grade crossing. Public at grade crossings have joint responsibility between the roadway authority and the railway authority... but that has nothing to do with the discussion. There is an authority responsible for inspecting each bridge and if no agreements were made otherwise it typically falls to the party responsible for building the bridge in the first place (note that running surfaces such as the trackbed and asphalt are not usually considered part of the structure). However, any of the bridges CP/CN were responsible for maintaining along lines that Metrolinx has taken over Metrolinx is now responsible for maintaining, and all of the bridges Metrolinx builds they are responsible for maintaining. If somehow it wasn't the responsibility of the builder to maintain their bridge then that would reward shoddy construction which makes no sense whatever. Metrolinx bought the line and is building bridges... they are responsible.

I agree with everything you have said, except that the bridges are typically joint railroad-municipality ownership. For example the new Trafalgar Rd/Galt Subdivision grade seperation near CP's Hornby Intermodal Yard, the overpass is responsibility of Halton while the tunnel throat and future widing is responsibility of the rail authority, CP in this case. I only brought up at-grade crossings as a more explicit example of the shared ownership of intersecting traffic corridors.