Timeline from the Fact Sheet:
CONSTRUCTION SCOPE AND TIMING There are three key stages of construction, with multiple sequences for the different types of work within each stage.
Stage One: Summer 2012 - Summer 2013
Bell: Install new duct banks and new copper and fibre-optic cabling
Locations: On Queens Quay between Rees St. and York St. and on the east side of York St.
Timeline: Crews expected to start civil work June 2012 and be complete by July 2012. Cable pulls, splicing and terminations to follow and will take approximately 9 months.
Toronto Hydro: Construction of new splicing chambers and replacement of legacy primary electrical cables
Location: Between Yo Yo Ma Lane and Yonge St.
Timeline: Multiple crews are expected to start civil work in July 2012 for a duration of 12 months. There are 47 new or rebuilt chambers and 32 concrete-encased ducts in this work package.
Sanitary Sewer: Construction of new sewer system replacing aging sewer infrastructure.
Location: Work to be completed in three areas:
Rees St. to York St.
Bay St. to York St.
Lower Spadina Ave. to HTO West
Timeline: Crews will excavate and then install the new sewers, backfill and grade. Crews are expected to complete 30-40 metres per week.
Storm Sewer: Construction of new storm sewers that are replacing legacy/aging systems.
Location: Work to be completed in two areas:
York St. to Bay St.
350 Queens Quay to Rees St.
Timeline: Crews will excavate and then install the new sewer and are expected to complete 30-40 metres per week.
TTC Infrastructure: Demolish, realign, and rebuild TTC corridor, with new concrete streetcar track beds, and rails/tracks.
Location: From Harbourfront Portal/Tunnel to just east of Spadina Ave. (Spadina grand union turning loop will be rebuilt in Stage 2- Fall 2013)
Description: TTC service in its own corridor south of the traffic lanes. The TTC corridor is 6.1 metres wide and made of concrete with granite curbs. It features 2.4 metre wide platforms with TTC / City of Toronto shelters, and traffic railings/barriers.
Timeline:
o Demolition: Work is scheduled to start in the fall of 2012. Work will continue in sequences until complete.
o Build new corridor: Work will start in the fall of 2012 and be completed by late spring 2013.
o Lay new tracks: TTC welded 6 km of new tracks together in late May 2012 and will transport them from Queens Quay East (just east of Lower Jarvis St.) into place when ready for installation. Crews will lay 100 metres of track per day. The City allows TTC to work twenty-four hours per day (3 shifts), and it is exempt from the construction noise bylaw.
o Electrification: Spring 2013
o Install new platforms and amenities: Spring 2013
Other TTC-related tasks: Installation of cantilever poles, overhead wiring, and half grand union tracks at Spadina Ave.
Stage Two: Summer 2013 - Early 2014
Roadway: Demolish north side traffic lanes, curbs, and rebuild new road, curbs, turning lanes and lay-bys.
Description: Two lanes of east/west traffic with new sidewalks with granite pavers, curbs, lighting, and expanded turning lanes and new lay-bys.
Location: Between Yo Yo Ma Lane and Bay St.
Scope of work: Remove existing road, curbs, and sidewalks. Install new north side caissons, storm laterals, and fire hydrants. Install new road and granite curbs. Install new planting trenches and soil cell systems. Install concrete base and granite paver finish.
Timeline: Stage 2 of construction plan.
Sidewalk: Demolish current sidewalk and install new granite curbs and granite sidewalk pavers. New lighting and final finishes are installed including planting trenches and soil cells. New tree planting will depend on season, and feasibility of planting specific tree species.
Description: Tree pit and soil cells will be installed prior to Caledonia Grey granite curbstones and Royal Canadian red granite sidewalk pavers. There will be 68 trees planted in tree trenches with tree spacing approximately 10.0 metres apart.
Location: Between Yo Yo Ma Lane and Bay St.
Scope of work: Crews will demolish the existing sidewalks and excavate several metres of soil in order to install the soil cells and trees in the planting areas. Deep caisson foundations will be drilled and filled with concrete as supports for the new light and traffic poles. Crews will then proceed to build up the sidewalks with granular 'A' bedding, followed by a concrete base and finished with smooth 80 mm thick Royal Canadian Red granite pavers. The road will be lined with new 300 mm wide granite curbs. Bike rings, benches and garbage receptacles will be installed along the way as well.
Timeline: Stage 2 of construction plan.
Spadina Loop: Demolish, realign, and rebuild TTC Spadina turning loop and tracks
Location: Northeast corner of Queens Quay and Spadina Avenue
Scope of work: Crews will demolish the turning loop tracks and TTC corridor, and will rebuild the entire track structure.
Timeline: The turning loop is the last phase of work on the new TTC line. Exact timelines will be coordinated with the TTC who currently wish to complete a 3-phase/stage approach. Each stage of work would require a long 3-day weekend of effort. Because it will be installed after the new line reopens, existing TTC service will be suspended temporarily, requiring bus service while construction is underway. This service will run west of Yo Yo Ma Lane, and the Spadina Loop.
Roadway: Bay St. restriping from Lake Shore Blvd. to Queens Quay West
Stage Three: Early 2014 - Late 2014
Pedestrian Promenade: Demolish current sidewalk and install new granite curbs and sidewalk pavers including new pedestrian lighting.
Description: The promenade will be made of granite cobbles with split face edges and a smooth surface, set on a concrete base. Each cobble will measure 100x100x80mm. There will be approximately 2.3 Million cobble pieces laid on the promenade.
1,401,500 for the south side of Queens Quay
965,300 for the north side of Queens Quay
The mosaic will be two-tone: The cobblestone surface will be smooth Royal Canadian red granite, while the maple leaf figures will be outlined with light grey St. Sebastien granite.
Location: Between Yo Yo Ma Lane and Bay St.
Scope of work: Crews will demolish the existing sidewalks and excavate a couple metres of soil in order to install the soil cells and trees in the planting areas. Deep caisson foundations will be drilled and filled with concrete as supports for the new light and traffic poles. Crews will then proceed to build up the sidewalks with granular 'A' bedding, followed by a concrete base finished with smooth 80 mm thick Royal Canadian Red granite pavers, inset with 'Maple Leaf' patterns. A rough paving strip between the Martin Goodman Trail and the TTC corridor will be installed at this time. Bike rings, benches and garbage receptacles will be installed along the way as well.
Timeline: Stage 3 - 2014
Martin Goodman Trail: Demolish south side sidewalk and traffic lanes and build the Martin Goodman Trail
Description: The Martin Goodman Trail will be asphalt with green and blue painted lines and a maple leaf pattern that helps denote driveways, intersections and other pedestrian crossings.
Location: Between Yo Yo Ma Lane and Bay St.
Scope of work: The Martin Goodman Trail construction will be over top of the soil cells installed earlier. Heavy duty asphalt paving, 3.6 metres wide will be the final finish running material. Double delineation lines will be painted to separate eastbound and westbound lanes, completed with decorative ‘slow’ boxes at every intersection.
Timeline: Stage 3
LIGHTING
The “signature poles†for the project are timber tapered light poles with cast metal footing featuring Alaskan Yellow Cedar.
The poles are 9 metres high, with two cast aluminum arms and two custom designed snooted lighted fixtures at the top – one for the purpose of street lighting and the other to illuminate pedestrian walkways.
BENCHES
A backless bench will be installed along Queens Quay. These backless benches will be placed along the south side promenade. The benches are supported by custom cast aluminum brackets, painted red to add a splash of vibrant colour.
Number of Backless benches: 25
Dimensions: 450mm high x 770mm x 4.2metres long
Type of wood: Ipe
TREES A double allee of trees will be planted along the south side featuring one continuous tree species. The north side sidewalk will feature a diverse variety of native species planted to suit available soil conditions.
229 trees will be planted:
o 161 for the promenade / Martin Goodman Trail
o 68 for the north side sidewalk
Tree species include:
o South side: Plane Trees
o North side: Freeman Maple, Sunset Maple, Turkish Hazel, Sunset Honey Locust, Greenspire Linden and Princeton Elm
Soil Cells: To help deliver mature trees, a tiered web of rigid boxes called Silva Cells will be installed on the promenade and Martin Goodman Trail. A tree trench will be used on the north side sidewalk which will ensure a similar or greater soil volume than the City of Toronto standard.
BUDGET
The revitalization of Queens Quay is budgeted at approximately $110 million which includes design and other soft costs, TTC track realignment and restoration, Toronto Hydro work, storm and sanitary upgrades, roadway and public realm improvements.
ACCESSIBILITY
Queens Quay has been designed to be fully accessible for people with disabilities. Waterfront Toronto engaged an accessibility consultant for the project. The pedestrian promenade features granite pavers that are flush to the ground making it fully accessible. All transit platforms include ramps. Grooved/textured curbs will be installed to assist visually impaired pedestrians.
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