GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

[TOareaFan]

Or, be honest and tell the public “look, we just aren’t doing this”.

- Paul

That is kinda my point .....if “this” is all day - two way - 7 day GO train service on the Kitchener GO line.....we aren’t doing “this” without

a) access to the Bramalea station
b) agreement to run those trains between Bramalea and Georgetown

I genarally agree with the holistic approach to planning that you describe.....,but sometimes you have to sit back and say “but if we cannot do ‘X’ then all that other stuff is just wasted money”. Given how many consecutive governments have failed to get agreement from CN.....I think this is one of those cases.

 

[Allandale25]

Latest email update on the Stouffville Corridor. Pictures from email attached.

Overnight work slated for this weekend (Jan 25-27) at Marilyn to Havendale

Important track diversion work takes place this weekend, as contractors shift the old existing track next to the newly laid second track. Due to the safety of everyone involved, this will require 24-hour a day work beginning tonight, and ending Sunday morning. On Sunday evening, beginning at around 6pm, test trains will be running. This track diversion will take place from Marilyn to Havendale, as well as from McNicoll north. Residents will hear some moderate machine work during this time. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Overnight Tunnel Work at Agincourt GO weekend of Feb 8-11

EllisDon Transit Infrastructure (EDTI) is undertaking the construction of the Stouffville Stations Regional Express Rail Project on behalf of Infrastructure Ontario and Metrolinx. This project includes infrastructure improvements to the Agincourt GO, Milliken GO, and Unionville GO stations, and the construction of a grade-separated pedestrian bridge at the railway crossing Steeles Avenue East, between Redlea Avenue and Old Kennedy Road.

As part of the project, EDTI will be working within the Agincourt GO rail corridor starting Friday, February 8th, at 9 p.m. until Monday, February 11th, at 4 a.m. This work involves installation of the south pedestrian crossing tunnel at Agincourt. To ensure worker and public safety, nighttime work will be required over the weekend.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Daytime construction and up to three consecutive nights of work starting Friday, February 8th, 2019. Residents will hear construction-related noise during this time. Additional lighting will be used for safety during construction. As work will be restricted to off-peak hours, there will be no impacts to GO customers or train service. Work may be rescheduled due to weather or unforeseen circumstances.

Part I (Marilyn to Finch)Construction Update

Work Performed/Construction Activities:

• Collected ballast samples from existing north track for laboratory analysis
• Helped to collect ballast samples from existing north track from Marilyn to McNicoll Avenue crossing.
• Total 10 set of samples from 10 different locations were collected for laboratory analysis.
• Installed wires with south track leads at Finch and Havendale road crossing as part of south track activation
• Installing stakes for diversion of south track at north of Marilyn and South of McNicoll Avenue crossing.

Work Scheduled for This Week:

• Dewatering (When required)
• Preparing cabling for track diversion and installing shunt
• Track diversion preparation

Community Office Closure on Tuesday January 29th
Due to a divisional meeting, please note that our community office will be closed on Tuesday January 29th. It will re-open on Wednesday January 30th and Thursday January 31st.

 

[Allandale25]

^ sorry about that. I'll try to reattach them.

 

[Allandale25]

Pictures here from my post above.

 

[crs1026]

^ I interpret that to mean that the 2.5 kms of second track is completely laid between Havendale and McNicholl. So they will shift the existing track at the ends and begin using the second track as the one main line for now. Possibly they will then tear out and replace the existing main line with new materials in that stretch.

That leaves another 5.9 kms of track to lay from Havendale down to Kennedy. And then, possibly, a similar renewal of the first track along that stretch also.

The second track is already laid northwards from McNicholl to the crossovers at Underwood (north of Steeles), but it can't all be connected until the tunnel(s?) at Milliken are completed. South of Agincourt, there is lots of progress but still some fairly big tasks in progress.

It's not enough yet to complete the line, but it's encouraging progress. Things are coming along.

- Paul

 

[hw621]

^ I interpret that to mean that the 2.5 kms of second track is completely laid between Havendale and McNicholl. So they will shift the existing track at the ends and begin using the second track as the one main line for now. Possibly they will then tear out and replace the existing main line with new materials in that stretch.

That leaves another 5.9 kms of track to lay from Havendale down to Kennedy. And then, possibly, a similar renewal of the first track along that stretch also.

The second track is already laid northwards from McNicholl to the crossovers at Underwood (north of Steeles), but it can't all be connected until the tunnel(s?) at Milliken are completed. South of Agincourt, there is lots of progress but still some fairly big tasks in progress.

It's not enough yet to complete the line, but it's encouraging progress. Things are coming along.

- Paul

And the two bridges?

 

[Allandale25]

- With the CP line on a shoofly over Eglinton Ave while a new bridge ovee the Crosstown Mount Dennis station is being built, no opportunity to lay track there until Crosstown is further along

- Paul

This is the location of the that new bridge right? Photos by Damian Baranowski and posted with permission.

 

[crs1026]

This is the location of the that new bridge right?

Correct. If you look at some of the aerial photos on the Crosstown site, you will see that the old bridge carrying the CP line over Eglinton had to be removed and rebuilt to clear the Mount Dennis Crosstown station somehow. To make that happen, the CP line was shifted over onto the Metrolinx Weston Sub, where the eventual fourth track will be. When the new CP bridge is finished, the CP track will be moved back where it was, and the fourth ML track can be laid.

- Paul

 

[crs1026]

And the two bridges?

Last time I was up that way, they had finished the access roads to reach the bridge site, but no significant construction had started on them.

- Paul

 

[TOareaFan]

^isn’t the old Kodak building the station building?

 

[drum118]

Last time I was up that way, they had finished the access roads to reach the bridge site, but no significant construction had started on them.

- Paul

The last time I shot the area, CP bridge was built. Concrete barrier was going up by the Kodak building.

I don't see Weston Station been closed. Eglinton, St Clair, King will add time to the local travel time for stopping there. Eglinton could be a stop for the express and expect that to happen as well UPX.

 

[W. K. Lis]

^isn’t the old Kodak building the station building?

Actually, one of many buildings at Mt. Dennis. See link. It's the "little" vertical white building between Photography Drive and the railways.

From link:

The station is a Mobility Hub and will include: a transfer to the GO Transit Kitchener Line and UP Express, an off-street TTC Bus Terminal and a Passenger Pick-Up and Drop-Off (PPUDO) area. As a terminal station, Mount Dennis will include special track work for LRT operations.

The station will have three accessible entrances:

• the main entrance will be at the west end of the station between Weston Road and the GO Transit Kitchener corridor, with an underground connection from the main entrance to 3500 Eglinton Avenue West (the former Kodak building);
• the secondary entrance will be at east of the GO Transit Kitchener corridor on the north side of Eglinton Avenue West; and
• the third will be at 3500 Eglinton Avenue West.

A new GO station and a new UP Express station will be constructed as part of the project. The GO and UP Express platforms will be accessible from the underground connection between the main entrance and 3500 Eglinton Avenue West. The GO and UP Express waiting area and public washrooms will be located on the main level of 3500 Eglinton Avenue West.

The bus terminal will include 15 bus bays for TTC buses and will have an underground, accessible connection to the 3500 Eglinton Avenue West building.

The PPUDO will be designed to be jointly used by the LRT line, TTC, GO and UP Express passengers. There will be four taxi stands adjacent to the PPUDO.

Retail spaces will be located in the main and basement levels of 3500 Eglinton Avenue West and in the bus terminal.

Station plazas will be located at the main entrance and at 3500 Eglinton Avenue West.

There will be 40 outdoor and 80 indoor bicycle parking spaces. The indoor bicycle storage will be located at the main entrance.

Fun Facts:

• The existing Photography Drive bridge will be demolished and a new bridge will be constructed east of 3500 Eglinton Avenue West. From the south side of Eglinton Avenue West, pedestrians will be able to access the Photography Drive bridge by way of stairs and a sidewalk.
• 3500 Eglinton Avenue West is a four storey structure constructed in 1940 with a basement and a flat roof. It is constructed of reinforced concrete in a portal frame structural system.
• 3500 Eglinton Avenue West is a Heritage Interest Building, as designated by the City of Toronto. It will be renovated in conformance with a Heritage Impact Assessment. The building will be integrated with Mount Dennis station and will be the primary focal point of transfers between all modes.
• 3500 Eglinton Avenue West will be accessible from the main entrance, secondary entrance and street, and not require entrance into the fare paid area.
• 3500 Eglinton Avenue West will accommodate transit and non-transit related functions. Generally, the basement and main levels will accommodate transit related functions while the second, third and fourth levels will accommodate non-transit related functions. Parking spaces will be provided for the non-transit portion.
• There will be a new multi-use path with three metres of sidewalk and three metres of two-way bicycle path on the north side of Eglinton Avenue West between Weston Road and Black Creek Drive. A connection will be provided from the multi-use path to the indoor bicycle storage at the main entrance.

 

[crs1026]

The last time I shot the area, CP bridge was built. Concrete barrier was going up by the Kodak building.
.

Yes. It was the Unionville line that I was referring to - two creeks near the 401 that need the bridges twinned.

- Paul

 

[felix123]

With relatively little time before line 5 finally, finally opens, yet still no movement on Caledonia GO station, is this going to be one of those projects that kind of just sits on the books until 2047, when the city pushes to have it built (which is then unsuccessful because Prime Minister Jaxxon Brayden Hayden Ford, who is only interested in Toronto municipal politics screams "Toronto already has enough GO Trains!")?

Or is it actually on track?

 

[innsertnamehere]

It's part of RER - which has a deadline of 2025. The PCs are pushing for all new GO stations to integrate private development now though, which may effect timelines.