Answers to some longstanding questions:
Did anyone ever figure out what that mass in the river was from?
We confirmed it was formed but unreinforced concrete likely associated with the original bridge foundation or construction methods.
What specifically changed with the bridge design to work around said mass?
Nothing changed with the design of the Tawatinâ Bridge foundation; once we were able to stabilize the steel cofferdam shoring to work around the mass and safely reached the concrete mass, we were able to remove a portion of the conflicting concrete mass and proceed with the micro pile installations beneath the main bridge pier. The remaining portion of the concrete mass that originally prevented the steel cofferdam shoring from being fully installed remains buried beneath the riverbed and remains in its original location.
(I was mistaken to have said previously that they needed to revise the bridge design)
There seems to be a big push to get construction wrapped up in the southeast areas from Avonmore to Strathearn, when can those communities expect to see the work completed, barriers removed, etc.?
You are correct that there is a push to get construction wrapped up in the southeast, however the reality is this same push exists across the entire 13km of the Project. This is not unexpected or unplanned. By the end of 2020 the majority of visible and intrusive construction activities will be complete, and we will be well into train commissioning activities.
When will we see work begin on the pedestrian bridge under the Tawatinâ, and when might we see it opened?
The concrete bridge deck final concrete pour, something we refer to as the “closure pour” will occur in early September 2020. Shortly after the closure pour, the pedestrian bridge installation will begin. For clarity the pedestrian bridge is an underslung shared use path, often called an SUP.
Before pedestrian access can be opened, we must first reconstruct the trail networks within the Louise McKinney and Henrietta Muir parks. The trail works cannot begin until the construction laydown yards are removed. The construction laydown yards cannot be removed until the river berms are removed. The river berms are required for access to install the underslung SUP structure.
Will the Tawatinâ bridge have accent lighting or LED features to brighten it up at night?
There will be LED lights “uplighters” for the towers. And the SUP will be lit for pedestrian use 24-hours per day.
(I was also told that the lighting will be fairly restrained, as too much lighting can negatively impact wildlife moving through the valley).
When might we expect to see test trains rolling through more of the line (i.e., north of the Gerry Wright facility)?
Train system testing on the tracks will gradually progress further and further north, including north of the Gerry Wright Operations and Maintenance Facility throughout this summer. Edmontonians will soon see more and more traction power poles and cables being strung and trains out on the line testing further and further north from Millwoods. They will cross the river in 2021 and testing in downtown will begin.
When might we expect to see revenue service begin?
We are working hard to have the Valley Line southeast operational for passenger service in 2021.
When can we expect to start seeing the various public art pieces installed along the line?
The public art will be installed “just in time” as a method to prevent accidental damage from construction or potential vandalism. We are working closely with our partner the City of Edmonton and the artists themselves to ensure the beautiful and unique pieces are installed exactly as the artist envisioned. In some cases, the artist will be standing directly beside a TransEd worker as the pieces are mounted.
Has the Alstom purchase of Bombardier's rail transportation division affected the delivery timelines of the LRVs? Is delivery of all vehicles anticipated for the opening of the line?
The probable Alstom acquisition of Bombardier's rail Transportation division has had no effect on the delivery timelines of the LRVs. The remaining 13 of 26 LRVs ordered for the project are will be delivered by the end of 2020.
There's a rumour that the grade of the line at Bonnie Doon and Whyte Avenue somehow got out of spec; is there any truth to that, and if so, what is being done to adjust for the difference?
This is a rumor. There is no issue with the rail or roadway grades or how they interface with each other along 83rd Street at the 82nd Avenue (Whyte Ave) intersection or along 83rd Street at the Bonnie Doon Stop.
In the overall construction of the system, which style of LRT does the Valley Line more so resemble, a streetcar similar to Toronto's light rail or a traditional LRT similar to Edmonton's existing system?
The Valley Line is what we call an urban integrated low floor LRT system. It’s different from a streetcar system, like that of Toronto’s in which traffic and transit vehicles travel in the same road lanes, because although the route primarily follows existing roadways, Edmonton’s Valley Line LRT is not intended or designed for vehicles to share the trackway.
Of course there are exceptions to every rule, for example, Emergency Vehicles. A prime example of where the Valley Line Southeast was designed to share with emergency vehicles is along 83 Street where the tracks run through the centre of the roadway with a single lane of traffic in each direction. In this area the Valley Line Southeast LRT was designed with embedded tracks and semi-mountable curbs which will enable emergency vehicles to safely bypass traffic if they are en-route to an emergency.
Additionally, the Valley Line Southeast LRVs will stop to allow passengers to embark and disembark the train at each stop, this is a traditional LRT approach rather than the streetcar approach in Toronto where passengers request that the streetcar stop at the next stop on the route.
All stops along the Valley Line feature step-free boarding which is different from the Toronto streetcar network where depending on the stop, users may have to step up onto the vehicle or use a ramp.
When it comes to the demographics of future riders, is it expected that the majority will be current transit users and new ones through TOD, or is it anticipated that many vehicle users will turn to the LRT for their commute now that they have the option?
In 2013, a benefit analysis report estimated ridership around 30,000 per day upon opening the Valley Line Southeast with long-term ridership projections at nearly 50,000 by 2044. These numbers are just for the Valley Line Southeast, a Valley Line West business case projects ridership of 78,000 for the entire route by opening day for the Valley Line West, and an increase to about 128,000 daily riders twenty years beyond the opening of the West.
The exact demographics of riders is difficult to predict, we anticipate that it will be a combination of existing transit users (due to adjustments to bus routes) and residents of the near-by communities through infill and TOD and existing residents who choose LRT as their preferred form of public transportation.
Will trains always be operating in a two-vehicle consist or will only single vehicles be used during off-peak times?
The trains will occasionally move in pairs during on-peak hours.
If the ridership demand for the line is greater than anticipated after opening, is it likely that more vehicles will be ordered from Bombardier (Alstom) for that reason alone?
The Valley Line Southeast project included the procurement of 26 LRVs. LRVs for the Valley Line West are being procured directly by the City. The competitive procurement process for these LRVs is anticipated to begin in October of this year. They will not necessarily be Bombardier Flexity units, but will be compatible with the infrastructure, power, and communications systems used for the Valley Line Southeast. Both the Bombardier Flexity LRVs ordered by TransEd and the new LRVs to be procured by the City will travel along the full 27 km route from Mill Woods to Lewis Farms.
It’s not uncommon for multiple suppliers/models to be used for LRVs along a single LRT route.
Here are some of my pics:
