Toronto Queens Quay & Water's Edge Revitalization | ?m | ?s | Waterfront Toronto

[000]

It's night time and I'm thinking for a web cam these are pretty good photos!

 

[EnviroTO]

I'm sure that mayor must be devastated at the loss of those car lanes.

He read your post and the streetcar tracks have now been replaced with fresh asphalt. The new Queens Quay Highway plan is underway.

 

[DSCToronto]

He read your post and the streetcar tracks have now been replaced with fresh asphalt. The new Queens Quay Highway plan is underway.

From WT website:

TTC Corridor Demolition The demolition of the TTC corridor has been completed from 350 Queens Quay (Beer Store) east to Rees Street. The area has been backfilled and temporary asphalt has been laid on this completed section. Demolition between Rees St. and Lower Simcoe St, and Lower Simcoe to York is expected to continue. Two crews are breaking-up concrete with a hoe-ram, and removing old TTC rails. The debris is removed from the site by dump trucks and sent for recycling.

 

[Kitsune]

He read your post and the streetcar tracks have now been replaced with fresh asphalt. The new Queens Quay Highway plan is underway.

Why did they repave it... especially considering its going to be all torn up again in 2-3 weeks.

 

[DSCToronto]

Why did they repave it... especially considering its going to be all torn up again in 2-3 weeks.

The plan is to move the lanes of traffic to this area while they work on the existing traffic lanes. I think it will be used for at least the next 3 months.

 

[FNTS]

Waterfront Toronto's November Newsletter is out:
http://www.waterfrontoronto.ca/widgets_newsletter/read-newsletter/id/47

Queens Quay: Construction Update

Construction is in full swing on Queens Quay with work continuing on the demolition of the TTC corridor, the installation of an upgraded natural gas main and the construction of new hydro infrastructure. Highlights include:

• Crews completed the demolition of the TTC corridor between 350 Queens Quay and Rees Street. The area has now been backfilled and temporary asphalt has been laid. The next section of demolition will occur between Rees Street and York Street.

• Enbridge crews are completing work between York Street and Ann Tindal Park at Harbourfront Centre. The last stage of work between the Simcoe WaveDeck and the western edge of HTO Park East is now underway. Work is expected to be complete by mid to late December.

• Toronto Hydro crews are working in several locations along the corridor. Crews are completing a new Hydro chamber at the north-west corner of York Street and Queens Quay and have begun work on two chambers on the northside of Queens Quay just west of Bay Street. Crews also continue to work in front of the Westin Hotel and east to Yonge Street. Work is also starting between York Street and the Peter Slip Bridge on the south side of Queens Quay within the fenced off construction area.

Work will soon begin on the construction of the new storm and sanitary sewers planned for Queens Quay. Crews will begin by drilling test pits in strategic locations. These test pits are required before crews can set up the dewatering equipment needed to build this important new infrastructure.

During this first stage of Queens Quay revitalization construction, all utilities and municipal services are being upgraded and the TTC corridor is being rebuilt. To receive detailed information on Queens Quay construction activities, subscribe to Waterfront Toronto’s weekly email updates.

Webcams: Watch the Transformation Unfold

Waterfront Toronto has installed two webcams on Queens Quay to enable the public to view construction from computers and mobile devices. The cameras, located on the Radisson Hotel (looking east) and the Admiralty Point Condominium (looking west), take a picture of the construction area every 15 minutes, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. There is also a “Video Archive” which features a timelapse view of the project.
A special thanks to the Radisson Hotel and the Admiralty Point Condominium for allowing Waterfront Toronto to install web cameras in these locations.

 

[hawc]

Why did they repave it considering its going to be all torn up again in 2-3 weeks.

That's what we do to all our roads!!!

 

[AKS]

The plan is to move the lanes of traffic to this area while they work on the existing traffic lanes. I think it will be used for at least the next 3 months.

Wouldn't it have been more logical to block off the north side first and work on that (repaving or doing whatever to the roads) first. Then block off the south side and tear out all the rails. I think the plan is to have car traffic on the north side, LRT in the south side followed by bike lanes and wider pedestrian lanes. Does the roads expand past (south of) the current rail alignment?

 

[Michael62]

The ttc streetcar tracks are moving about a meter or so to the south of their original location. This will allow for left turn lanes and laybys on the new stretch of road on the north. The entire staging plan can be found on the Queen's Quay/West8 website

 

[DSCToronto]

Wouldn't it have been more logical to block off the north side first and work on that (repaving or doing whatever to the roads) first. Then block off the south side and tear out all the rails. I think the plan is to have car traffic on the north side, LRT in the south side followed by bike lanes and wider pedestrian lanes. Does the roads expand past (south of) the current rail alignment?

I suspect the problem is that they need to install new under-street stuff (gas, electric, phone etc) before they cut off the old stuff. The new ducts and pipes all seem to be on south side of the street. Don't forget that the paving of the old streetcar ROW is temporary and when they are ready to pour concrete and lay rails there it will be very fast to strip off the top layer. (As streetcars are supposed to be back on QQ next June I assume they will start this as soon as the temperature is OK, late March?) No doubt it would all be much easier and faster and cheaper if they could simply close QQ while the work is going on but that's clearly not possible.

 

[Kitsune]

I suspect the problem is that they need to install new under-street stuff (gas, electric, phone etc) before they cut off the old stuff. The new ducts and pipes all seem to be on south side of the street. Don't forget that the paving of the old streetcar ROW is temporary and when they are ready to pour concrete and lay rails there it will be very fast to strip off the top layer. (As streetcars are supposed to be back on QQ next June I assume they will start this as soon as the temperature is OK, late March?) No doubt it would all be much easier and faster and cheaper if they could simply close QQ while the work is going on but that's clearly not possible.

I suspect its something much more - as they are also going through the trouble of rerouting the hydro to newly placed poles in that area. There was no mention of this in the latest construction update... so I wonder why the sudden change.

 

[rbt]

I suspect its something much more - as they are also going through the trouble of rerouting the hydro to newly placed poles in that area. There was no mention of this in the latest construction update... so I wonder why the sudden change.

Same reason why Toronto Hydro revisited St. Clair so many times. They don't seem to assess the full scope of work required until after they've started; then bulldoze the schedule of everybody else until they're done.

Something similar happened when TTC tore up Fleet Street. Suddenly works and hydro wanted to connect the new condos in the area (after TTC tore up the street); so laying the new tracks was delayed 6 months.

 

[dowlingm]

It's also possible (as in St Clair West Station) they found something unmapped when they started digging

 

[DSCToronto]

It's also possible (as in St Clair West Station) they found something unmapped when they started digging

This is certainly possible but if you look at the WT site they seem to be doing exactly what they planned - rebuilding the road north of the new TTC tracks. Clearly they need to get traffic off that section of road while they do this.
The WT website says:

Stage 2 (Summer 2013 – Early 2014):
Major works include:
• Building new traffic lanes north of the TTC tracks with expanded turning lanes and improved signal timing.
• Sidewalk improvements including installation of granite curbs and pavers, tree planting and finishes. Each section will open as work progresses with the entire northside expected to reopen by early 2014.

 

[drum118]

This is certainly possible but if you look at the WT site they seem to be doing exactly what they planned - rebuilding the road north of the new TTC tracks. Clearly they need to get traffic off that section of road while they do this.
The WT website says:

Stage 2 (Summer 2013 – Early 2014):
Major works include:
• Building new traffic lanes north of the TTC tracks with expanded turning lanes and improved signal timing.
• Sidewalk improvements including installation of granite curbs and pavers, tree planting and finishes. Each section will open as work progresses with the entire northside expected to reopen by early 2014.

I have said all along that the north side needs to be built 100% before moving south with TTC and the rest of the area. By doing so, traffic is 100% out of the way for building the south section. New sidewalk & pavers on the north side can be done in phases to reduce the disruption to the business. The south side has less business to worry about, but its more busy due to being close to the lake. Sidewalk & pavers can happen after the curb and road is in place. Putting in the new traffic lights will take time as the eastbound will be part of the ROW, but can be hung on temporary construction lines.

At the same time, the Spadina intersection can be rebuilt as the new ROW is being built and would eliminate the next service disruption after the first phase of the ROW is done as plan.

As for Fleet, it was a scheduling and cost issue on Hydro side since Hydro saw more life in the system and was not prepared to spend the money. Once council said do it, it became a manpower issue.