WestLRT Construction Transgression thread

[Lil Pedro]

Is it still scheduled to open December 12, 2012? Or will it be in early 2013 as the test train has indicated?

[frinkprof]

Originally Posted by Lil Pedro

Is it still scheduled to open December 12, 2012? Or will it be in early 2013 as the test train as indicated?

Officially it is March 2013, but my guess is that it will indeed open as originally scheduled on December 10th, 2012. There's a few X factors that I don't have the best idea of whether they will keep that from happening, but the line looks substantially complete. Most of the stations are pretty well done (Westbrook seems a bit behind the rest, based on photos), LRV testing has been ongoing for awhile now, the existing 10th Street Station closes in early September, which will allow enough time to demolish it and finish Kerby Station so it can open by December, etc.

Hard to know with a few things like electrical.

With a full four months before the originally planned opening date, I could certainly see it happening.

[KelVarnsen]

How did they get the test train on the new tracks? Doesn't the 10 street station have a concrete barrier at the end of it?

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by KelVarnsen

How did they get the test train on the new tracks? Doesn't the 10 street station have a concrete barrier at the end of it?

The north (future westbound) track has been connected to the existing system. The south track must wait until the 10th Street Platform is removed. From fall until the opening of the WLRT the LRT will turn around without a platform. Passengers will have to get off at 7th Street or 8th Street.

[stevinder]

Originally Posted by KelVarnsen

How did they get the test train on the new tracks? Doesn't the 10 street station have a concrete barrier at the end of it?

The end of the track was removed a few months back.


WLRT-08122012-17 by srp775, on Flickr

[You Need a Thneed]

City says WLRT could open up before Christmas:

Link.

[iggy_oi]

This has probably been brought up in this thread but I'm too lazy to go through the 37 pages. Does anyone know how the new train lines will work once the new west line is done? Will it be a nw to south and west to ne or will it be nw to ne and south to west?

[You Need a Thneed]

The S - NW line will remain as is. The NE line will continue on to 69th St instead of 10th street.

[Jordan!]

Crazy..

[stevinder]

A few West LRT related shots from my walk this afternoon:

Old sidewalks removed along 17th Ave and 33rd St SW. Hopefully, the ugly-ass and crooked former trolley poles will be removed as well.


WLRT-09232012-1 by srp775, on Flickr

More finishing work on Westbrook Centre.


WLRT-09232012-3 by srp775, on Flickr

New alignment for Bow Trail. The lack of a fence in the median is an accident waiting to happen. During construction, people have been jaywalking across Bow Trail inspite of the existing overpass. :shrug:


WLRT-09232012-6 by srp775, on Flickr

4-LRV Train dwelling at Sunalta. I missed getting a shot of a moving train on the guideway by a few seconds. The damn thing was too quiet!

WLRT-09232012-8 by srp775, on Flickr

[frinkprof]

On October 8th, all of the buses that had been terminating at the Sirocco Park and Ride temporary bus loop during construction will switch back to using the 69th Street Station bus loop.

Many of these changes will only last a couple of months of course, until West LRT opens for service on December 10th. After that, the permanent bus network will come into effect.

http://www.calgarytransit.com/pdf/Si...ider-Guide.pdf

[Ducay]

Anyone know what alignment change on EB Bow Trail @ Crowchild underpass has caused the hellish traffic on Friday/Today (monday)?

The offramp to 10th Ave/Crowchild is backed up all the to Westbrook mall, which takes an entire lane for Bow out of commission.....

[Ozy_Flame]

^^ Not entirely sure, but EB Bow Trail @ Crowchild is undergoing a lane addition to accomodate higher volumes of traffic. Essentially they're taking a merging line and extending it to make it an actual lane. Merging from Crowchild onto EB Bow Trail will be made into a smaller circle / shorter merge path I believe.

[mrgreen]

Originally Posted by stevinder

The lack of a fence in the median is an accident waiting to happen. During construction, people have been jaywalking across Bow Trail inspite of the existing overpass. :shrug:

Yep. I've seen lots of people jaywalking across Bow here. The really dangerous part is the idiot drivers in front of me who've stopped dead in live traffic forcing people to slam on brakes behind them because they think they need to let the jaywalkers cross. Insane!

[Ozy_Flame]

^ Kids are always jaywalking and playing on the street there. This is an incredibly dangerous area of the road. They've put up temporary fencing, but people just knock it down.

[Ducay]

I still don't get how the 10th Ave connector from EB Bow can go from smooth sailing one day, to a 100 car lineup, overnight.
That and those ridiculous pedestrian lights on Bow (seriously, the worst invention ever), are my only major hates on that whole corridor.

[FurnaceFace]

Anyone have a firm handle on what's going in the Westbrook office building above the station? I've heard rumours of the library and clinic that are in Spruce Cliff moving there but have never heard anything confirmed.

[Ashartus]

Originally Posted by Ducay

Anyone know what alignment change on EB Bow Trail @ Crowchild underpass has caused the hellish traffic on Friday/Today (monday)?

The offramp to 10th Ave/Crowchild is backed up all the to Westbrook mall, which takes an entire lane for Bow out of commission.....

Further to Ozy_Flame's answer, right now they've got one lane dug up on 10th Ave. The exit from Bow Trail onto 10th used to be a "free flow" but now that there's only one lane there's a yield, with a lot of oncoming traffic. So cars trying to get onto 10th Ave are basically getting stuck waiting for an opening instead of just being able to go. The torn up pavement is probably about 5 m x 2 m but adds about 10 minutes to my commute.

[Ozy_Flame]

^^ EB on 10th ave coming from southbound Crowchild is also down to one late, bringing it to a proper merge, not a second lane for Bow Trail exiters. Part of the problem right there too.

[Ducay]

So are these restrictions on 10th Ave temporary, or is it part of its final alignment?
From what I gather it sounds like its part of the temporary concrete work scheduled for last Saturday (29th)