[Monarch Butterfly]

The Central Station Reference Concept Design Online Consultation is now up. See more at this link.

You can download the PDF presentation from this link.

This presentation covers the stations from Eglinton West Station to the Laird Station, inclusive. I would have thought that the Eglinton West and the Eglinton-Yonge Stations would have had their own individual presentation, but they were lumped into this one.

The Eglinton West Station, or as sometimes called in the presentation "Eglinton West-Allen Station", has designed two north entrances, one west of the southbound Allen ramp and one east of the the northbound Allen ramp. It may mean no more having to transverse the ramps to get to the station entrance, but they may go directly to the Crosstown line and one may have to use a connection tunnel to get to the Spadina line. Think that the current Spadina line entrance will remain.

The south entrance is still only a possibility, just dotted lines in the diagram. Could be only an emergency exit.

 

[voxpopulicosmicum]

Local 183 signs contract to build the Crosstown.

http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1119933/local-183-signs-contract-to-build-eglinton-lrt

From the press release: "Local 183 has signed a contract with Crosstown Obayashi Technicore Constructors to build the 52 km line".

 

[gweed123]

From the press release: "Local 183 has signed a contract with Crosstown Obayashi Technicore Constructors to build the 52 km line".

This just in: Eglinton LRT to be extended to Garden St in Whitby via Kingston Rd! (Yes, I did do the measurement starting from Mt. Dennis).

 

[TOareaFan]

I was just flipping through ReNew magazines annual supplement detailing the top 100 infrastructure projects in Canada and this line comes in at #5......I was surprised by the cost estimate in there of $4.9B as I thought this was more expensive.

 

[Monarch Butterfly]

Tree Removal and Protection along Eglinton Avenue West

From this link:

March 1, 2013

What work is starting?

What: Crews will be removing and protecting trees.

Why: Trees will be removed to make way for utility relocation and the construction of various structures connected with the twin tunnels for the Eglinton Crosstown. The project has obtained all appropriate permissions and permits to remove selected trees which are in conflict with the tunnel construction. Tree protection will also be installed around selected trees that are near the various construction sites.

Where: One crew will be removing trees at selected locations along the Eglinton Crosstown route on City of Toronto right of ways and Metrolinx lands. In some circumstances, a limited temporary sidewalk closure may be required for public safety.

When: During March and April 2013, a crew will be removing and/or protecting trees at these specific locations from 9am to 5pm, along the corridor, subject to weather condition or unforeseen circumstances.


Ben Nobleman Park

Along the sidewalk edge of Ben Nobleman Park, six trees will be removed. Protection of trees adjacent to the construction zone, at the park edge, will be erected to the park. Particular attention and protection of the trees has been taken during the design process and now during construction to protect the park trees and the Community Orchard.

- See more at: http://www.thecrosstown.ca/news-med...ong-eglinton-avenue-west#sthash.d3R6jk9G.dpuf

Starting with the tree next to the Big Yellow Taxi?

 

[nfitz]

From the press release: "Local 183 has signed a contract with Crosstown Obayashi Technicore Constructors to build the 52 km line".

The previously published line lengths were 19 km for Eglinton, 10 km for the SRT replacement and extension, 12 km for Sheppard East, and 11 km for Finch West. This sums to 52 km, so presumably the contract is for all 4 lines.

 

[innsertnamehere]

52 km is all 4 new LRT lines combined I think.

 

[Platform 27]

so presumably the contract is for all 4 lines.

Considering this is a deal between the union and the contractor who's been awarded the tunnel contract between Black Creek and Eglinton, and the rest of the Eglinton project (let alone Sheppard and Finch) doesn't even have a contractor yet, I think the more likely explanation is lazily-written news release.

 

[nfitz]

Considering this is a deal between the union and the contractor who's been awarded the tunnel contract between Black Creek and Eglinton, and the rest of the Eglinton project (let alone Sheppard and Finch) doesn't even have a contractor yet, I think the more likely explanation is lazily-written news release.

Quite possibly ... though that contract is only for 6.2 km of tunnel. Perhaps the contract contains an option for the rest of the project.

 

[gweed123]

Considering this is a deal between the union and the contractor who's been awarded the tunnel contract between Black Creek and Eglinton, and the rest of the Eglinton project (let alone Sheppard and Finch) doesn't even have a contractor yet, I think the more likely explanation is lazily-written news release.

That would be a fair assumption. It would be a pretty big stretch for Metrolinx to simultaneously award the construction contract for all 4 lines to a single bidder.

 

[Platform 27]

That would be a fair assumption. It would be a pretty big stretch for Metrolinx to simultaneously award the construction contract for all 4 lines to a single bidder.

Quite possibly ... though that contract is only for 6.2 km of tunnel. Perhaps the contract contains an option for the rest of the project.

Separate contracts. They explained to me at a recent open house that they will be using two regular-style construction contracts to do the tunnels (one for west of Yonge and one for east of Yonge) because all the detailed engineering work had already been done and they didn't need to mix it in with the P3. Everything else for Eglinton (stations, tracks, signals, yards, surface section) will get lumped into a big design-build P3 bundle that's in the middle of tendering right now.

 

[nfitz]

Separate contracts.

I meant the contract with the union contained an option if the same contractor got other contracts with Metrolinx. Sorry, I'll clarify my post.

They explained to me at a recent open house that they will be using two regular-style construction contracts to do the tunnels (one for west of Yonge and one for east of Yonge) because all the detailed engineering work had already been done and they didn't need to mix it in with the P3.

Ah, that's good news. That means the second tunnelling contract will have a fighting chance of being all signed with construction underway sometime next year, which will make it difficult for Hudak to fulfill his promise of cancelling/deferring much of this line. I assume then there'd also be an earlier contract awarded for the Don Mills Road launch site, similar to the earlier contract for the Black Creek launch site.

 

[gweed123]

Ah, that's good news. That means the second tunnelling contract will have a fighting chance of being all signed with construction underway sometime next year, which will make it difficult for Hudak to fulfill his promise of cancelling/deferring much of this line. I assume then there'd also be an earlier contract awarded for the Don Mills Road launch site, similar to the earlier contract for the Black Creek launch site.

That is indeed good news. The surface portion, well everybody already knows my position on that. But the tunnel portion absolutely needs to go ahead, and get as far into construction as possible before the next election. History cannot repeat itself.

 

[innsertnamehere]

not if we get sent into an election this summer, which seems quite possible since Horvath doesn't seem to be backing down on the car insurance thing. (personally I think they should go with Gweed's Idea of public car insurance funding public infrastructure) Gweed, now would be a good time to send that Idea to your MP! (who is hopefully a liberal)

 

[nfitz]

not if we get sent into an election this summer, which seems quite possible since Horvath doesn't seem to be backing down on the car insurance thing.

Seems very unlikely to me. Horvath played the same game with McGuinty, and even he managed to sort out a deal with Horvarth and make concessions. Wynne has shown a lot more sign of working with Horvath than McGuinty ever did. It's just granstanding (and it may well work). They'll come to a deal this year at least. Election might be more likely in 2014, but hopefully we'll be past the point of no return by then. Personally my money is on Spring 2015 or Spring 2016. Wynne's been talking about Fall 2014.