GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

[allengeorge]

Kerr Street underpass project derailed

Budget overrun of more than $100 million leads province to abandon project

oakvillenews.org

Looks like the official price tag given for Kerr Street was $233M compared to the original planned price tag of 130M, and as such Metrolinx shelved the project.

Yikes.

Does Metrolinx provide cost breakdowns? One could build substantial portions of a metro in Italy for the cost of this single underpass reconstruction.

While I understand that there’s been supply and labour-cost inflation, I’m surprised it’s that high. Was there any land expropriation required? Given land-value spikes over the past few years I can imagine that contributing substantially to the cost of any reconfiguration…

 

[wopchop]

Any claim of labour inflation should be scrutinized.

1. All the Metrolinx contractors are bound by Union agreements, where the labour inflation over the length of the agreement was known.
2. We are hearing about all kinds of material and shipping inflation, but as far as I am aware, employers are not suddenly paying employees more money. I am not aware of anyone in Engineering or Construction that all of a sudden got a pandemic raise.

As for expropriation, yes. They have to tear down a stand alone retail building and takeover a strip of the plaza parking lot to build the new roadway. North of the rail corridor, a loading dock had to be relocated off Kerr St, so I imagine there was property expropriation there. This work already happened though, so it wouldn't have been expropriated probably in 2020.

However if they are only looking at finalizing expropritation of the plaza land now, I have to question their competence.

 

[ShonTron]

I just simply don’t get the six lane cross-section. Two through lanes, along with the wide, separated walk/cycle ways ought to be enough, especially as the grade separation eliminates delays at the crossing.

Dorval Drive is the through route to the QEW and points north and has been since the late 1970s. Kerr Street hugs the 16 Mile Creek ravine immediately north of the tracks.

 

[innsertnamehere]

I just simply don’t get the six lane cross-section. Two through lanes, along with the wide, separated walk/cycle ways ought to be enough, especially as the grade separation eliminates delays at the crossing.

Dorval Drive is the through route to the QEW and points north and has been since the late 1970s. Kerr Street hugs the 16 Mile Creek ravine immediately north of the tracks.

The Kerr Street separation was only going to be for 4 lanes, no? Or do you mean the Burloak bridge? Oakville is rapidly building out a large industrial park south of the tracks off of Burloak which will increase traffic levels on the street significantly, I can see the need for 6 lanes over the long term.

 

[SaugeenJunction]

I just simply don’t get the six lane cross-section. Two through lanes, along with the wide, separated walk/cycle ways ought to be enough, especially as the grade separation eliminates delays at the crossing.

Dorval Drive is the through route to the QEW and points north and has been since the late 1970s. Kerr Street hugs the 16 Mile Creek ravine immediately north of the tracks.

The render in the article is from the Burloak Underpass. Kerr will be four lanes.

 

[drum118]

When the Rain condos were built some years ago, it allow for Sheppard to be relocated to the south for the grade separation and was done on Oakville dime.

What the plan cost were to be and the current construction cost are totally different numbers due to cost increase across the board due to the length of time it has taken place. Same goes for land cost.

Kerr St was to happen over 5 years ago and still waiting to happen.

Once done, that plaza will be a thing from the past with a better 4 lane road in place of the current 2 north of the tracks and 4 south from Sheppard

 

[drum118]

Feb 27
More up on my site

Unionville
Have to laugh that the posted signs for no smoking as there are butts all over the place by the workers.

Only small small sections of tracks have been place for track 2-3 with no track 2 going north from the station. Odd there is a track 2 switch north of the overpass with a heater, yet no track on either side of it other than doing a s move.

A few block signaled mast need to be install at both end of the station.

Agincourt

The temporary platform is gone with track 2 in place correctly for the new platform that is mostly close off at this time

 

[drum118]

Feb 27
Kennedy

More up on my site

Like a lot of stations, snow clearing sucks that the accessibility community have a bitch trying to get to/from them as well a skating zone for the rest of the riders. Makes no different what city/town, transit systems, snow clearing for pedestrians is the last thing that comes to mind for who every is responsible for clearing sidewalk snow. Things will not change until there is a major lawsuit over it or when someone is major injury from a fall or kill.

 

[drum118]

Construction work moves forward in Guelph as part of expanding GO Train service on Kitchener Line​

 

[wopchop]

I just simply don’t get the six lane cross-section. Two through lanes, along with the wide, separated walk/cycle ways ought to be enough, especially as the grade separation eliminates delays at the crossing.

Dorval Drive is the through route to the QEW and points north and has been since the late 1970s. Kerr Street hugs the 16 Mile Creek ravine immediately north of the tracks.

Kerr St cross section was to be four lanes from Speers north. I agree with you about the rest. This lane expansion essentially serves traffic going to the GO station.

Normally I have no issue with that, but in this case, it is extremely auto friendly and completely ignores that Kerr is a very pedestrian neighborhood.

At Kerr & Speers, southbound, they were going to have dedicated right hand, a bicycle gutter, a through lane, and double left turning lanes. Plus two northbound. 6 lanes to cross for pedestrians.
The double left lane is ridiculous IMO. Drivers to GO Station already have good access down Dorval and onto Speers.

At Sheppard & Kerr, which will be an extremely minor intersection for the foreseeable future if not forever, both northbound and southbound: right-hand, two through lanes, and left hand turning lanes. Two through lanes in opposite direction. Again, six lanes for pedestrians to cross.

In both cases, the radii for the right hand turns is extremely generous (12m), which will encourage drivers to roll through, and increase danger to pedestrians. All trucks to this area are coming off highway down Dorval and then onto Speers. There are no trucks turning right from Kerr St, so these can be tighter. Speers right onto Kerr northbound is more problematic because it needs to accommodate buses.

 

[smallspy]

Any claim of labour inflation should be scrutinized.

1. All the Metrolinx contractors are bound by Union agreements, where the labour inflation over the length of the agreement was known.
2. We are hearing about all kinds of material and shipping inflation, but as far as I am aware, employers are not suddenly paying employees more money. I am not aware of anyone in Engineering or Construction that all of a sudden got a pandemic raise.

As for expropriation, yes. They have to tear down a stand alone retail building and takeover a strip of the plaza parking lot to build the new roadway. North of the rail corridor, a loading dock had to be relocated off Kerr St, so I imagine there was property expropriation there. This work already happened though, so it wouldn't have been expropriated probably in 2020.

However if they are only looking at finalizing expropritation of the plaza land now, I have to question their competence.

There is also a premium for working within an active rail corridor, with specially trained and certified workers.

Dan

 

[tsm1072]

Kerr St cross section was to be four lanes from Speers north. I agree with you about the rest. This lane expansion essentially serves traffic going to the GO station.

Normally I have no issue with that, but in this case, it is extremely auto friendly and completely ignores that Kerr is a very pedestrian neighborhood.

At Kerr & Speers, southbound, they were going to have dedicated right hand, a bicycle gutter, a through lane, and double left turning lanes. Plus two northbound. 6 lanes to cross for pedestrians.
The double left lane is ridiculous IMO. Drivers to GO Station already have good access down Dorval and onto Speers.

At Sheppard & Kerr, which will be an extremely minor intersection for the foreseeable future if not forever, both northbound and southbound: right-hand, two through lanes, and left hand turning lanes. Two through lanes in opposite direction. Again, six lanes for pedestrians to cross.

In both cases, the radii for the right hand turns is extremely generous (12m), which will encourage drivers to roll through, and increase danger to pedestrians. All trucks to this area are coming off highway down Dorval and then onto Speers. There are no trucks turning right from Kerr St, so these can be tighter. Speers right onto Kerr northbound is more problematic because it needs to accommodate buses.

I think you are right that a re-design is required. If the underpass does go in, 1-lane each direct is sufficient for Kerr, most of the congestion currently occurs due to the level-crossing. I would propose:

• Kerr remains 1-lane each direction north of speers, with left-turn lanes at signalized intersections (Speers, Shepherd, Wyecroft)
• The intersection at Kerr and Wyecroft is signalized and made bike and pedestrian-friendly
• The 2 entrances to the plaza on the west of Kerr are closed and replaced with a single signalized entrance at the Shepherd intersection
• The Kerr st entrance to the plaza at the northeast of Kerr and Shepheard is permanently closed, with the Shepherd entrance being improved to deal with the increased traffic.
• A 2-way protected cycle path is added on the west side of Kerr from Speers all the way to the Canadian tire (potentially extended in the future)

As a related note, pedestrian and cycling access between the Go Station and Kerr-Speers area need to be dramatically improved. I would love to see a cycling and pedestrian bridge alongside the railway tracks over sixteen-mile creek. It would save everyone from the narrow sidewalks and hills walking along speers.

 

[generalcanada]

i guess the only concern ive got is without the grade separation, are the go transit services affected?

 

[wopchop]

There is also a premium for working within an active rail corridor, with specially trained and certified workers.

Dan

And have those rates suddenly spiked?

 

[smallspy]

And have those rates suddenly spiked?

Without seeing the contracts and tenders - I don't know.

I do know that several of the companies that do operate in this part of the world are currently suffering from understaffing and simply aren't able to get enough workers onto the sites. That may be part of the issue and may lead to higher costs.

Dan