Needless to say this will be a big deal for the Twin Cities, especially St Paul.

From today's St Paul Pioneer Press:

Central Corridor planners approve the St. Paul-Minneapolis rail route
While the decision is historic, many major issues must be resolved.
By Dave Orrick
dorrick@pioneerpress.com
Article Last Updated: 02/28/2008 06:32:11 AM CST

We have a route.

Not proposed, not envisioned, but planned — and supported by just about every public official with a say in it.

That's the bottom line after two votes Wednesday chose the route of the Central Corridor light-rail line linking downtown St. Paul and Minneapolis via University Avenue.

What we'll get is a $909.1 million, 11-mile, 20-station train running every 7 minutes, 30 seconds, 21 hours a day, seven days a week for a fare price that likely will be comparable to a bus ticket.

Decades of on-again, off-again hopes for such a connection coalesced in recent weeks as political, civic and business leaders compromised under the hammer of a looming federal deadline.

"This is a quantum leap forward," said Peter Bell, chairman of the Metropolitan Council, which will build the line beginning in 2010 and run trains starting in 2014.

"To get Minneapolis, St. Paul, Hennepin County, Ramsey County, leaders of the Legislature, the University of Minnesota and the FTA (Federal Transit Administration) anywhere near the same page, much less on the same page, is amazing."

While many leaders called the votes historic, plenty of questions remain.

If the federal government signs off on the plan, the line will transform areas in its path, and no one has yet figured out exactly how. For example:

-- A six-block stretch of Washington Avenue through the University of Minnesota will be closed to cars — and possibly buses — to make way
for the two-car trains. Streets surrounding the U's East Bank and West Bank campuses will be significantly altered to handle the traffic; no one yet knows how.
-- University Avenue will be ripped up and resurfaced to accommodate trains running down the middle. Bus schedules will be altered, with some service being eliminated, some scaled back and two north-south routes added. Of the 1,156 curbside parking spaces now serving the thoroughfare's businesses, many will be gone. No one knows how many or how to deal with it. No parking lots are planned.

-- Downtown St. Paul will see trains running along Cedar Street, with parking eliminated and southbound traffic reduced to one lane. The block bounded by Cedar, Minnesota, Fourth and Fifth streets will be diagonally bisected to accommodate the tracks and a station. Along Fourth Street, parking will be eliminated and traffic reduced to one lane — no one knows which way yet — as the train travels to Union Depot in Lowertown, where more roads and potentially buildings will be altered by tracks leading to a train maintenance yard near the Lafayette Bridge over the Mississippi River.

-- The previously rail-less region will have a virtual transit party at the new Minnesota Twins stadium in downtown Minneapolis. There, riders from the Hiawatha Line (serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and the Mall of America), the planned Northstar Line (serving Hennepin and Anoka counties and points northwest) and the Central Corridor will share a station.

It took plenty of compromising to get there.

The U gave up on hopes for a tunnel beneath Washington Avenue on the East Bank campus.

Ramsey County gave up, at least for now, on plans to bring the train to the backside of Union Depot, where it could link with other envisioned transit lines.

And St. Paul and Ramsey County leaders agreed three additional stations along University Avenue — at Hamline Avenue, Victoria Street and Western Avenue — must take a back seat.

Infrastructure for them will be "roughed in," but the only way any will be built before 2014 is if the federal government changes its funding formula, or if other parts of the project appear to be cheaper than now thought. If that happens, building at least one of the stations is top priority, leaders agreed Wednesday.

The Met Council overwhelmingly approved the route Wednesday evening. Hours earlier, a key advisory panel, which includes St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and representatives from the Hennepin and Ramsey county boards and the University of Minnesota, unanimously approved the route.

On Monday, key leaders from the state House and Senate signed off on it during an informal meeting. Bell is appointed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who has said he'll support the plan if everyone involved agrees, though a funding plan for the state's share of the cost — about $300 million — has not been formed.

The federal government, which will pay half the construction cost, must give its approval — a lengthy process that will formally begin in September, when the Met Council submits detailed engineering studies of how the project will be built. Officials are confident the plan has a good chance because the route approved Wednesday meets the FTA's complex funding formula.

"Transit funding can have more drama than Lindsay Lohan's social life," Rybak observed.

Indeed, a lot must be done before September, Bell said, "particularly at the university."

The U's Board of Regents has yet to address the route approved Wednesday, and Kathleen O'Brien, vice president for university services, said her vote in favor of the plan was "with reservations."

The U plans to continue studying its preferred options, a pair of paths through Dinkytown and along the northern edge of campus, where a series of new research and academic facilities are planned. Detailed studies on that route won't be available until May or June.

If it turns out that such a route is cheaper or better, officials could decide to go with it, but the move would delay the project at least a year.

O'Brien said her vote in favor of the Washington Avenue ground-level route was largely because the U doesn't want to force an unwarranted delay.

Bell said he's especially concerned about the impact of the so-called "transit mall" that would replace Washington Avenue between Coffman Memorial Union and McNamara Alumni Center.

Although it is not definite, Bell and others involved said it is unlikely cars would be able to use the Washington Avenue Bridge over the Mississippi River, creating a traffic engineering imbroglio.

The plan adopted Wednesday calls for $39 million to deal with traffic snarls created by trains along the entire length of the line, and Bell said he fears, given the scenario at the U, the amount is "woefully inadequate."

The issue could be clarified by March 12, the next scheduled meeting of the advisory panel and the Met Council.

The Central Corridor will be the region's second light-rail line since streetcars disappeared half a century ago. The Hiawatha Line opened in 2004 and has exceeded ridership projections by 65 percent, according to the Met Council.

http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_8386089?nclick_check=1

I'm jealous.

Awesome! Congrats, I can't wait to visit Minneapolis this summer. I'm takin' the Megabus as far north as she goes!

University Avenue? I really hope the train gets heavy priority in traffic light signaling.
I was hoping they would go with an almost-no-interruptions I-94 route.

University Avenue? I really hope the train gets heavy priority in traffic light signaling.
I was hoping they would go with an almost-no-interruptions I-94 route.

The only problem with that is that it doesn't serve the community between downtown minneapolis and downtown saint paul...it would completely bypass it. I do think that they should consider building "bypasses" of all the stations so they could create an "express line" that goes non-stop from downtown to downtown. However that won't happen because they are building the stations in the center of University from my understanding making a bypass like that nearly impossible. They would have to allow the tracks to cross so a train could essentially merge onto the oncoming track and then back onto its own track...which obviously creates additional safety hazards when you take into consideration people walking to approach the tracks and the other trains coming head on. It is possible but would be a logistical nightmare I would imagine.

LRT on Cedar to stay put

Met Council swats down MPR's objections about the Central Corridor route.

By JIM FOTI and CHRIS HAVENS, Star Tribune staff writers

Last update: December 23, 2008 - 2:30 PM

Minnesota Public Radio may stay or go, but the Central Corridor light-rail line will not be moved off Cedar Street in St. Paul, Metropolitan Council President Peter Bell said Monday.

In a strongly worded statement, Bell criticized MPR for "using its airwaves and its website to rally its supporters" to push for moving the line off Cedar and away from its studios.

"Extensive testing following Federal Transit Administration guidelines shows vibration and noise impacts ... can be mitigated at MPR," Bell said, noting that Cedar has been the preferred route for many years.

"Cedar Street was properly chosen for the alignment," he concluded. "Cedar Street remains the route."

In a Dec. 10 letter from its attorneys to the Central Corridor office, MPR said that the noise and vibrations from light-rail trains "could well shut down the highly sensitive MPR Broadcast Center, leaving MPR with no practical alternative but to sue" to recover the value of its $100 million building and the costs of relocating.

MPR acknowledged that it and its neighbors "have been generally aware of the potential for LRT on Cedar Street for some time," but said that only in the last six months has MPR been given access to data disclosing the extent of the "significant negative impact" on its facilities.

The letter calls the noise and vibration testing "truly deficient" and accuses researchers of throwing out vibration data that did not conform to their assumptions. Central Corridor trains are expected to pass within 8 to 14 feet of MPR's complex, which includes recording and broadcasting studios and concert halls.

Bell said Monday that "our experienced project engineers, who have worked on other LRT projects around the country," have spelled out numerous ways that the line's impact could be mitigated, from soundproofing the studios to putting a rubber material underneath the tracks.

"Reopening the decision about the alignment would cost tens of millions of dollars and delay the project at a minimum of one year," he said, a sentiment he expressed repeatedly this spring when the University of Minnesota pushed for further study of an alternative route through its Minneapolis campus. After months of often contentious discussions, the "northern alignment" was dropped and the Washington Avenue route restored amid assurances that the university's concerns about traffic and vibrations would be addressed.

"In defense of the U, their cheese got moved," said St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, who sits on a Central Corridor planning committee. He was referring to a tunnel under Washington Avenue that was eliminated because of cost concerns.

Coleman has become more vocal in his frustrations with MPR's recent actions, pointing to compromises other stakeholders have made in the name of progress. "What MPR is proposing kills Central Corridor," he said.

MPR needs to understand that local dissent gives the FTA ample reason to refuse the funding request, Coleman said. He noted that the city lent MPR $3.3 million for the expansion.

"We could study this thing for another 10 years, and we'll still say Cedar is the best option," he said.

Jennifer Haugh, a spokeswoman for MPR and American Public Media, said Monday that "the initial environmental impact study of the current alignment did not factor in noise- and vibration-sensitive facilities that are concentrated along Cedar Street" and that federal guidelines require alternative routes to be studied. She also underscored MPR's support for the Central Corridor project.

Too close for comfort?

MPR says it hasn't found a light-rail line running so close to a recording and broadcast facility anywhere in the United States, but it's been in contact with the lead engineer of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in Salt Lake City, where light-rail trains serve Temple Square.

In an e-mail, the engineer, Trent Walker, says that an underground recording studio is located 120 feet from a rail station and that "since the rail has gone in, the studio is not usable for recording of most programs and has been only usable for rehearsals."

Walker also said trains do not use their bells or horns when passing the tabernacle. "This is the only reason we are able to record and do not have major problems with the train in the hall," he wrote.

The Central Corridor Project Office has said that the use of horns and bells could be limited near MPR and two historic churches just up Cedar Street.

The 11-mile line connecting Minneapolis and St. Paul is estimated at $915 million, with the federal government paying half. Trains are scheduled to begin running in 2014.

http://www.startribune.com/local/stpaul/36607544.html

Mayor Coleman recently presented a development report on St. Paul (2015), here are a couple of pics from the presentation,

Proposed 4th and Cedar transit hub
http://www.twin-cities-solar-farm.com/4th_-Cedar-Transit-Hub_400x.gif

LRT running on 4th Street in front of Union Depot
http://www.twin-cities-solar-farm.com/Union-Depot2_400x202.gif

Personnally, I think the 4th and Cedar hub looks fantastic, certainly better than the big car lot that sits there right now. I hate seeing that big lot right in the middle of downtown. This really seems like a long ways away, but hopefully this will turn out great for the twin cities.

Personnally, I think the 4th and Cedar hub looks fantastic, certainly better than the big car lot that sits there right now. I hate seeing that big lot right in the middle of downtown.

4th and Minnesota it must be..

im REALLY jealous

congrats, good luck - certainly the CORRECT direction

Yaaaay!!! Great news!

What we'll get is a $909.1 million, 11-mile, 20-station train running every 7 minutes, 30 seconds, 21 hours a day, seven days a week for a fare price that likely will be comparable to a bus ticket.

Wow @ the schedule; There are only 2 cities in America that offer 24hr a day service on certain lines - NY and Chicago...21 hrs a day is very impressive for a city as small as Minneapolis, and very close to 24hrs a day. If the line sees high ridership which it probably will, it could become 24hr a day service to make it the 3rd city in America to offer that. Good job

More great news for this project.

Rep. McCollum: Light-rail project can be 'shovel-ready by next year'
By Bill Salisbury
Updated: 02/24/2009 11:35:49 AM CST

U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum today said she has secured $20 million for the Central Corridor light-rail project that will cover the final design work "so we can become shovel-ready by next year."

McCollum, a St. Paul Democrat and House Appropriations Committee member, said the $20 million light-rail grant is included in a $410 billion spending package that House and Senate Democratic leaders agreed to Monday to wrap up work on fiscal year 2009 appropriations bills.

Central Corridor, which would link St. Paul and Minneapolis via University Avenue, is the only light-rail project funded in that bill, she said.

With the federal money, "We hope to obtain (Federal Transit Administration) approval to enter final design by early summer and a full funding grant agreement to pay 50% of the total project cost by spring 2010," Steve Dornfeld, the Metropolitan Council's public affairs director, said in an e-mail. "We would start construction in the summer of 2010 and complete it by 2014."

The project will cost $915 million. The council currently has $75.2 million available from all sources, Dornfeld said, but it has all but about $8 million committed from state and local government sources to cover their half of the project's total cost.

McCollum said the federal funding is an important sign that state and local officials and the state's congressional delegation "have gotten our act together so we can compete and make sure that Minnesota's a player and not be left behind"in the competition with other cities for federal transit funding.

The House could act on the appropriations bill as early as Wednesday, she said. Then the Senate will consider it. She said the Obama administration supports the measure.

http://www.twincities.com/allheadlines/ci_11773966?nclick_check=1

Awesome.

They have been talking about this thing since I moved here in 1987, and probably longer. I can't shake the feeling that something is going to happen and it will fall through in the end. The state budget worries me.

Awesome.

They have been talking about this thing since I moved here in 1987, and probably longer. I can't shake the feeling that something is going to happen and it will fall through in the end. The state budget worries me.

Nah. To be honest, it's something that is long overdue and compared to other states, minnesota has wayyy less budget woes.

I grew up in Minnesota and I moved to Chicago a year ago where I don't need to own a car. Now, I can't wait until I can take the El to Union Station and then a super-fast rail line to Minneapolis, then the light rail all the way to Woodbury east of St. Paul

Nah. To be honest, it's something that is long overdue and compared to other states, minnesota has wayyy less budget woes.

I grew up in Minnesota and I moved to Chicago a year ago where I don't need to own a car. Now, I can't wait until I can take the El to Union Station and then a super-fast rail line to Minneapolis, then the light rail all the way to Woodbury east of St. Paul

If you live in Chicago and don't need a car, count yourself *very* lucky...

On a totally different note, I think Central's pretty much a lock at this point, all snooty UofM lawsuits aside...

If you live in Chicago and don't need a car, count yourself *very* lucky...

On a totally different note, I think Central's pretty much a lock at this point, all snooty UofM lawsuits aside...

I hope so. I think the dispute with the UofM is all about how much money they can squeeze out of the budget. A few local news articles hint at progress in the talks. I can't see any public agency stopping a $1 billion development. If everything can get signed off on over the next couple of months, we should see some early street work this summer. Work on the Operations and Maintenance facility (located in downtown st. paul's Diamond Products site) is tentatively scheduled to start in August.

Here are a couple new renderings just released of the Rice Street station near the capital.

http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/3913/ricestreetstation.jpg

http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/1861/leifbaselgfeb10.jpg

I was digging around St. Paul's website and came across some development plans regarding the Central Corridor LRT. Here are some renders of a ~50 story tall office tower for the proposed 4th and Cedar block in downtown St. Paul. Really just a pipe dream for now. But who knows, maybe we'll throw $100 million at a company to move here just like we did with Lawsons Software in the late 90's. I'd seen a cropped version of the first picture before, but never in full form. Blows me away. I hope one day we'll see something like this.

http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/5348/4thandcedartower.jpg

http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/4146/proposalsfor4thandcedar.jpg

http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/2519/towerrender.jpg

http://www.stpaul.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DID=4774

From the MetCouncil,


Heavy construction starts in August on Robert St. north of I-94

ST. PAUL - March 10, 2010 -- Shovels will start digging for the Central Corridor LRT line in August east of the Capitol where work will begin on Robert and 12th streets north of Interstate 94, the Central Corridor Project Office said today. Utility relocations in this area will be done concurrently with LRT construction.

Some utility relocation work in advance of construction along University Avenue between the Westgate and Rice Street stations, as well as along Cedar Street in St. Paul, could begin this summer and fall. However, the schedule for utility relocation along University is not firmly established yet.

Heavy construction is not expected to start on the western end of University Avenue in St. Paul until spring 2011 and on the eastern end until spring 2012.

The Federal Transit Administration is expected to execute a Full Funding Grant Agreement in September. An FFGA is the federal government's commitment to reimburse half the cost of building the $957 million line. The plan requests 50 percent from the federal government, 30 percent from the Counties Transit Improvement Board, 10 percent from the state, 7 percent from Ramsey County, 3 percent from Hennepin County and lesser amounts from St. Paul and the Central Corridor Funders Collaborative. For construction to begin before an FFGA, the FTA will have to issue Letters of No Prejudice, which are promises to reimburse project partners for half the construction costs if the federal agency later approves an FFGA.


Work divided into segments
Work on the civil east construction package will be in segments, which will be divided into smaller portions with input from the contractor. More specific information will be available once the contractor is hired by summer and the work schedule is developed. The project's construction communication plan calls for 30-day public notification before work, excluding unforeseen circumstances, begins in any given area. The project office has created an online sign-up form for the public to fill out and submit to receive weekly construction updates and a monthly newsletter. The form is at
http://www.metrocouncil.org/transportation/ccorridor/CCLRTSubscribe.htm

The civil east construction segments are:
University Avenue from the city limits at Emerald Street to Hamline Avenue will be under heavy construction from March 2011 to November 2011, when road reconstruction is expected to be substantially complete.
University from Hamline to Robert will be under construction from March 2012, with road reconstruction expected to be substantially complete by November 2012.
Road reconstruction on Fourth Street in St. Paul will be substantially complete by November 2010. Utility relocation in advance of heavy construction began in this area last year and is expected to finish by fall.
Work to demolish the vacant Bremer Bank building where the tracks will be built on a diagonal from Cedar Street to Fourth is anticipated to start in April 2011. Building removal and work to reconnect the skyway will be substantially completed by November 2011.
Heavy construction on Cedar is to start in April 2011. Road reconstruction should be substantially completed by November 2012.
Robert and 12th east and south of the Capitol should have road reconstruction substantially complete by November 2010.
Installing concrete paving for signalized intersections
Building an infiltration trench for collecting storm water
Constructing at-grade pedestrian crossings
Demolishing the vacant Bremer Bank building, reconnecting the skyway

The project office released the civil east construction bid documents last week to qualified bidders and will open bids this spring. The Metropolitan Council will award the civil east construction contract by summer.

Contractor incentives
Contractor incentives being built into the two main civil construction packages are intended to encourage responsiveness, create a partnership between contractors and the community and promote cooperation. The civil west contract, which includes work around the University of Minnesota, has a $250,000 incentive. The civil east contract in St. Paul has a $600,000 incentive. Quarterly incentives will range from $10,000 to $70,000.


The process of awarding incentives begins with the creation of construction coordinating committees. The project office will form the committees this spring to review performance standards and recommend award of incentives. The project office is recruiting interested members of the Business Advisory Council (BAC) and Community Advisory Committee (CAC) to serve on their local construction coordinating committees. The new committees, which will replace the BAC and CAC, will conduct quarterly evaluations and make recommendations. Project Director Mark Fuhrmann will approve the awards.

Evaluation criteria will include conformance with notification requirements, timely response to public concerns, maintenance of vehicle access and accessible pedestrian routes and cleanliness of construction sites.

Looks like some of the first big construction bids are in. Very exciting!

"Central Corridor Project Newsletter
May 2010


Met Council to award first heavy construction contract in June
The Central Corridor Project Office will recommend a contractor in June for the heavy construction work for the line's eastern seven miles. The Metropolitan Council is expected to make the award June 23.

As announced in March, the work would begin in August east of the state Capitol on Robert and 12th streets north of Interstate 94. Most of the heavy construction, though, on University Avenue will occur in 2011 between Emerald Street and Hamline Avenue and in 2012 between Hamline and Robert. The work in downtown St. Paul will occur in 2011-2012 A work schedule will be developed after the contractor is hired. See the March announcement at: http://tinyurl.com/282yq54

The project budget is $234.4 million for this civil engineering work, including work for cooperating agencies and utilities that have work in the contract.

All six prequalified bidders submitted bids. Their apparent bids are:

· Walsh, $205.4 million

· PCL, $219.7 million

· McCrossan/Ames, $224.2 million

· Granite, $226.9 million

· Graham/KA, $232.8 million

· Kiewit, $246.2 million

The work includes:

· Relocating utilities necessary for the LRT trackway

· Constructing nearly seven miles of embedded double track

· Fully reconstructing streets where track is being installed

· Building 14 stations from Westgate to Union Depot

· Modifying two bridges (on University over Highway 280 and on Cedar Street

over Interstates 94 and 35E)

· Installing concrete paving for signalized intersections

· Building an infiltration trench for collecting storm water

· Constructing at-grade pedestrian crossings

· Demolishing the vacant Bremer Bank building, reconnecting the skyway

Bids for the heavy construction work on the line's western three miles are to be opened July 27. The Met Council is to award that contract Aug. 25. Work will begin in September. "

Kick ass! Im excited for you guys.

Looking forward to the day that we can cheer the same thing in Indy

When all the I-35 work is finished the city will be flowing smoother.. when the central corridor is finished.. the city will reeeaally be flowing smoother

Met Council News Release, no surprise, lowest bidder wins contract. We should also get the title changed to U/C. There is plenty of construction work already going on in downtown St. Paul.



Walsh wins contract to build 7-mile St. Paul segment

ST. PAUL - June 23, 2010 - The Metropolitan Council today awarded the first heavy construction contract for the Central Corridor light rail transit (LRT) Project to Walsh Construction to build the seven-mile St. Paul segment of the line.

Walsh's $205.1 million award includes betterment work valued at $10.4 million that was requested by, and will be paid for, by cooperating agencies and utilities.

"This is another exciting milestone for the Central Corridor project," said Peter Bell, chair of the Met Council. "While we haven't had any ceremony or ribbon-cutting, the fact is we are starting construction this summer on the largest and most important transit improvement project in state history."

Construction is expected to begin in August east of the state Capitol on Robert and 12th streets north of Interstate 94, with utility relocation work there expected to start soon after July Fourth. Most of the heavy construction on University Avenue will occur in 2011 between Emerald Street and Hamline Avenue and in 2012 between Hamline and Robert. The work in downtown St. Paul will occur in 2011-2012.

Bids for the heavy construction work on the line's western three miles are to be opened July 27. The Met Council is scheduled to award that contract Aug. 25. Prep work will begin in September to retrofit the Washington Avenue Bridge to accommodate LRT trains by strengthening the bridge piers. This work will not affect vehicular or pedestrian/bicycle traffic on the bridge during the fall 2010 semester. In December, crews will begin the process to tie in the Central Corridor line from the Hiawatha Line just west of the Cedar-Riverside Station to west of the future West Bank Station. The bulk of the construction on the Minneapolis segment will start in spring 2011.

The project is able to begin heavy construction due to advance funding commitments from its partners and federal approval of this arrangement. Under this same arrangement, the project began improvements in May on streets around the East Bank campus of the University of Minnesota and utility relocation work last year on Fourth Street in St. Paul. The FTA has agreed to reimburse the project partners for the federal share of this advanced work once it awards a Full Funding Grant Agreement this fall.



Work on the seven-mile St. Paul segment includes:

Relocating utilities necessary for the LRT trackway
Constructing nearly seven miles of embedded double track
Fully reconstructing streets where track is being installed
Building 14 stations from Westgate Station to Union Depot Station
Modifying two bridges (on University over Highway 280 and on Cedar Street over Interstates 94 and 35E)
Installing concrete paving for signalized intersections
Building an infiltration trench for collecting storm water
Constructing at-grade pedestrian crossings
Demolishing the vacant Bremer Bank building and reconnecting the skyway

Have any of the stations changed, or is this pretty much the final plan?

http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/7334/centrallrtmsp03.jpg (http://img19.imageshack.us/i/centrallrtmsp03.jpg/)

^^ That's the plan. I think all the greyed out "potential" stations are a go as well.

So does this cross the river at the existing "Washington Ave" bridge? If so, will they need to rebuild the bridge completely?

^^The plan as it currently stands is to reinforce the bridge piers to accommodate the extra weight added by the trains, so the current bridge will remain.

Cool! I wish we could get something like this in Columbus!

A picture of the construction in front of the Union Depot in St. Paul, from the MetCouncil's email update. Also, early utility work will be starting around the capital shortly.

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/411.jpg


Here's another picture of the work going a couple blocks away.

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/417.jpg

Could be a bit of a mess if the Twin Cities get the 2012 DNC convention!

A great 3 minute animation of the line in St. Paul heading east towards the Capital.

http://www.metrocouncil.org/transportation/ccorridor/video/CCLRTEast.htm

A picture from the MetCouncil of utility construction along Robert St near downtown.

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/558.jpg

Very exciting project folks. Does anyone know how long a ride from the Northstar station to downtown St. Paul would take? I ask because I'm wondering the feasibility of commuters coming in from the Northstar line being able to get to their jobs in downtown St. Paul in a timely manner.

^^It will take about 40 minutes to travel one-way on the eleven-mile line, so no, it won't exactly be convenient to take to downtown St. Paul after a ride on Northstar unless you're prepared to spend two hours commuting each morning and evening.

Is it feasible generally speaking to be that far from work anyways?

^^Sure it is, but those who make that commute would drive their car. From the farthest reaches of Northstar (Big Lake), it would take about an hour in rush hour to drive to St. Paul.

Do you the area(Midway I believe its called) between Snelling and Lexington, the central corridor, and I-94 will see some projects for those ugly surface lots?

I'm hoping the light rail brings more density to the area.. or at least some more character.

Do you the area(Midway I believe its called) between Snelling and Lexington, the central corridor, and I-94 will see some projects for those ugly surface lots?

I'm hoping the light rail brings more density to the area.. or at least some more character.

There's a nice 4 story project at University and Dale going up right now. But nothing as yet between Snelling and Lexington. Lots of surface lots as you say. In fact they just demolished a fire damaged building at the Snelling intersection. It was sandwiched between several other 2-3 story buildings. Now there's just this empty hole. Pretty sad looking.

Rumors are abound though that there is a bit of land speculation going on along University Ave. Once the rail line is finished, hopefully we'll see a building boom.

A picture from the MetCouncil. Progress on 4th Street in downtown St. Paul is going well. They were supposed to be done in November with the utility realignment work. Doesn't look like it will happen. But everyday there is visible progress.

Nov 17th.
http://www.metrocouncil.org/transportation/ccorridor/feature/2010/Paving4thStSidewalk800Nov10.jpg

looking good thanks

^^It will take about 40 minutes to travel one-way on the eleven-mile line, so no, it won't exactly be convenient to take to downtown St. Paul after a ride on Northstar unless you're prepared to spend two hours commuting each morning and evening.

40 Minutes seems pretty long for a connection from downtown to downtown. I don't know much about the route the train is taking, but if it is at-grade with traffic the whole way I can see why it would take this long to travel 11 miles.

It would make transfers from either of Minneapolis's other 2 passenger trains inconviniently long for workers, residents, and visitors of downtown St. Paul.

A new picture from the MetCouncil.

The new 4th Street next to the First National Bank Building. Should be opening to traffic shortly.

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/702.jpg

From the MetCouncil, 4th Street in downtown St. Paul fully reopened!

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/717.jpg

Will the train be going down this road?

Will the train be going down this road?

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/717.jpg

Yes, it will be located on the south side of that street, the right side of the above picture.

Utility work ongoing in front of MPR in downtown St. Paul.

Picture from MetCouncil.
http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/763.jpg

http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/news/2011/02/03/central-corridors-federal-funding.html

"The full funding grant agreement for the Central Corridor light-rail project has been forwarded to Congress, the Metropolitan Council, which is planning the project, announced Thursday.
There will be a two-month review process for Congress, but assuming things go the Met Council’s way, the federal government will end up paying half of the $957 million project cost.
Design, property and construction have already cost the project $145 million.
”Federal Transit Administration execution expected in April would allow the realization of 30 years of planning to unite St. Paul and Minneapolis by light rail,” said Susan Haigh, Metropolitan Council chair, in a statement. "

From the St Paul Pioneer Press:

Rethinking University Avenue before the trains roll
Zoning changes would transform Central Corridor's future home
By Frederick Melo
fmelo@pioneerpress.com
Updated: 03/02/2011 05:01:06 PM CST

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site569/2011/0302/20110302_085246_20110301_093054_110302UniversityAveRezoning.gif

Imagine a streetcar rolling through San Francisco's vaunted Market Street. The neighborhood wine seller stands on his stoop and waves to a familiar train car passenger and hails the storeowner next door and his second-floor tenants, as customers walk from block to block and shop to shop.

What's missing? Manufacturing plants and bus barns. Storefront parking lots. Auto body shops, car dealerships and drive-throughs.

Pedestrians more or less own the road.

That's one taste of the vision proposed for University Avenue, the future home of the 11-mile Central Corridor light-rail line under construction between the downtowns of St. Paul and Minneapolis. It's a far cry from the mix of uses along the avenue today, where — in its most rough-and-tumble spots — used-car lots share blocks dotted by struggling ethnic eateries, convenience stores and vacant buildings.

The transformation will rely heavily on zoning.

On Friday, the St. Paul Planning Commission will review a sweeping zoning study of the corridor proposed by city staff. Recommended changes run the gamut from the mundane to the controversial, covering everything from where to situate heavy industry and affordable housing to bicycle parking, auto body repair shops and fast-food drive-throughs.

In all, the study recommends merging 13 types of zoning now in place along University Avenue into five, with heavy emphasis on Traditional Neighborhood (TN) zoning districts that promote "higher-density development, a reduced demand for parking and more of a pedestrian-oriented environment."
The new rules would primarily affect new construction and business expansions.

City officials hope to have the new zoning districts in place by June 20, when the current, temporary Central Corridor zoning rules expire. Tweaks to the proposed zoning rules are almost a given.

"I don't know what's going to come before us from the planning commission," said St. Paul City Council President Kathy Lantry, who met with the Regional Labor Federation, an umbrella group of building trade organizations, on unrelated issues Monday night.
"Change is hard. ... A guy started his question to me last night, 'University Avenue can't be all housing and coffee shops.' "

Planners say it won't be. Instead, zoning would promote tall, dense development that lends itself to retail, office and housing in the same buildings. Donna Drummond, the city's planning director, said the study would revise the current definitions of TN districts and even create a new category — TN 4 — that allows buildings of up to 75 feet, or even higher with a permit.

"There's no upper limit identified," Drummond said. "You could have strictly office building or strictly retail or strictly residential. It doesn't require mixed use, but it certainly facilitates it."

That's a big change from current districts, which limit buildings to a height of 55 feet, or up to 90 feet with a permit.

Views on taller, denser development cover the spectrum. The Preserve and Benefit Rondo Committee and Aurora-St. Anthony Community Development Corp. have said the proposed changes allow too much height and density.

The Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy has said just the opposite, maintaining that the proposed rules don't go far enough to promote pedestrian-friendly, transit-oriented neighborhood blocks.

Proposed parking changes also have drawn strong reaction — for and against. The study supports permit parking and recommends eliminating rules that require a certain amount of parking with new construction, at least in the TN zones. The idea is that less is more: Less parking means more incentive to take public transit, and it makes construction cheaper, reducing rental costs.

Taming car traffic could be a tall order. With traffic counts in the vicinity of 30,000 vehicles per day along its busiest stretches, University Avenue is one of the city's most-traveled thoroughfares.

The planning commission held public hearings on the proposed zoning study Nov. 19 and Dec. 3, and dozens attended. An early version of the zoning study would limit drive-throughs to "TN 2" districts and block new auto-body and car sale shops as well as industrial uses from much of the avenue, except for the West Midway industrial area near the Rock-Tenn paper-recycling plant.

"Most new auto-oriented uses would be prohibited," reads the Feb. 25 memo from the Comprehensive Planning Committee to the planning commission.

That would turn 98 of the 811 properties surveyed, or 20 percent of the area, into "nonconforming uses" — properties out of step with the new zoning but effectively grandfathered in.

The St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce, the Midway Chamber and representatives of the fast-food industry have said that's unfair, because "nonconforming" properties are difficult to sell, finance, lease or expand.

There's compromise afoot. The Comprehensive Planning Committee recommends that the study be tweaked to create 60 nonconforming use businesses, covering 15 percent of the area. That item is likely to remain a point of controversy, and it isn't the only one.

On Saturday, a coalition of liberal groups called Healthy Corridor for All plans a meeting to release a study showing how the corridor, as proposed, poses "serious potential threats" to the 1,068 small businesses along the route.

It also maintains that the proposed zoning will damage "health, housing and job access for the large low-income and minority communities."

"With the zoning in particular, we're very concerned about the affordability of housing along the corridor," said Kate Hess-Pace, project manager for Healthy Corridor for All.

"Our research is showing that 45 percent of the corridor residents are paying more than 30 percent of their income for housing."

They're pushing for a pilot zoning program that rewards developers for building affordable housing by transit stations, which is where home values are likely to increase the most. Incentives might include reduced parking and design requirements and looser restrictions on size limits.

The Healthy Corridor for All coalition has gone so far as to recommend bans on fast-food and big-box retailers, while encouraging the city to promote healthful-food stores and community gardens.

The Planning Commission's Comprehensive Planning Committee hasn't turned a deaf ear. It has recommended studying height and density "bonuses" for builders of affordable housing, and it has supported moving forward with a "food zoning" study that will lay out new rules to "faciliate access to and ... provide locally grown food."

http://www.twincities.com/ci_17514723?IADID=Search-www.twincities.com-www.twincities.com

From today's Pioneer Press:

Rezoning along Central Corridor route OK'd by St. Paul panel
Pioneer Press

Updated: 03/04/2011 11:50:07 PM CST


A sweeping plan to rezone the future Central Corridor light-rail transit line route along University Avenue passed the St. Paul Planning Commission on Friday.

The "Traditional Neighborhood" proposal would merge 13 zoning districts into five, generally increasing maximum building heights along the avenue to accommodate a mix of office, retail and housing in "mixed-use" developments such as the new Frogtown Square/Kings Crossing senior housing and retail center.

"It passed exactly as the (comprehensive planning) committee had recommended," said planning commission Chair Jon Commers. "As both the chair of the planning commission and the chair of that committee, that was really gratifying. ... I think we struck a really positive balance that meets the needs of really nearly everybody involved."

The Healthy Corridor for All coalition plans to release a study today calling for, among other things, more affordable housing near transit stations along the corridor, where rents are likely to increase the most.

The St. Paul City Council will schedule public hearings on the Traditional Neighborhood proposal before voting on it.

Temporary zoning rules along the University Avenue corridor expire in June.

The light-rail line is expected to connect downtown St. Paul to downtown Minneapolis in 2014.

— Frederick Melo

http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_17543213

That's a lot of TN-4 zoning along University. We could see buildings as high as 10 stories along the avenue with that.

A crane has shown up for the demolishing of the old Bremer Bank Building.

From today,
http://img827.imageshack.us/img827/7885/dscn0345f.jpg

Some pictures from the MetCouncil.

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/956.jpg

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/957.jpg

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/954.jpg

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/955.jpg

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/958.jpg

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/959.jpg

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/960.jpg

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/961.jpg

This one needs to be moved from App. to U/C....
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/04/26/central-corridor-funding/

A couple pictures from the MetCouncil.

Along University Ave.
http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/1205.jpg?a=1106062644141

4th Street in downtown St. Paul.
http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/1210.jpg?a=1106065477767

Thanks for continuing to share these pictures. When are they expected to begin laying track on the ground?

Thanks for continuing to share these pictures. When are they expected to begin laying track on the ground?

Probably within the next month or so. Construction on University Ave seems to be progressing much faster than it does in downtown. Probably due to the fact that they don't have to keep a lane open to accomodate parking ramps and office buildings.


Here's a shot from earlier today of the crane that's about to knock down the Bremer Building (the glass building behind it).
http://img543.imageshack.us/img543/1388/dscn0384c.jpg

Fast progress on demolishing the Bremer Building.

http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/2266/dscn0394m.jpg

From the MetCouncil,

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/1244.jpg

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/1232.jpg?a=1106160528845
New pavement on the west end of University.



From http://lettherebelightrail.blogspot.com/, the Westgate Station construction is progressing well.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QQS6ttD6IZU/Tgpi9WmkQyI/AAAAAAAAGBM/ZVFY1riU238/s320/IMG_0937.JPG

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TjeztjV1f-M/Tgpi9xHsHdI/AAAAAAAAGBU/TjkniKxjbM4/s320/IMG_0938.JPG

Pretty crazy to have gone from Pawlenty veto to station and guideway construction in 3 years...

A couple more close ups of the Westgate Station.

http://www.stpaulrealestateblog.com/images/2011/07/500/IMG-0540t-edited-1-wm.jpg

http://www.stpaulrealestateblog.com/images/2011/07/500/IMG-0528t-edited-1-wm.jpg
http://www.stpaulrealestateblog.com/

Rail tracks being laid in downtown St. Paul.

Picture from City of St. Paul's facebook page.
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/261566_10150310378926151_79640426150_9714148_8338451_n.jpg

Im so jealous....

yes, very jealous.. and maybe even a little ticked that MSP keeps getting funding for LRT extensions while cities like Milwaukee don't even have a single rail in the ground.

yes, very jealous.. and maybe even a little ticked that MSP keeps getting funding for LRT extensions while cities like Milwaukee don't even have a single rail in the ground.

Well MSP has about a 20 year head start on rail transit planning efforts. I'd imagine that has something to do with it.

yes, very jealous.. and maybe even a little ticked that MSP keeps getting funding for LRT extensions while cities like Milwaukee don't even have a single rail in the ground.

I'm sure you're already aware, but for those that aren't - Scott Walker has been fighting against developing any and all kinds of rail transit in MKE for years, from both the Milwaukee County and State levels. I'd love to see rails in your city, but look no further than the people who've repeatedly elected this dolt if blame needs to be placed.

yes, very jealous.. and maybe even a little ticked that MSP keeps getting funding for LRT extensions while cities like Milwaukee don't even have a single rail in the ground.

Honestly, don't be jealous. At the rate we're building light rail in the Twin Cities, we'll have a decent system in about...I don't know...60 years?

Some more pictures from the MetCouncil's monthly update.

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/1292.jpg

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/1293.jpg

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/1296.jpg
The old Bremer Bank building long gone.

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/1299.jpg
The Capital Area

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/1304.jpg
Westgate Station

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/1305.jpg

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/1306.jpg

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/1307.jpg

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/1310.jpg
East Bank construction

http://www.stpaulrealestateblog.com/images/2011/07/e.-4th-street-1.jpg
http://www.stpaulrealestateblog.com/

I'm sure you're already aware, but for those that aren't - Scott Walker has been fighting against developing any and all kinds of rail transit in MKE for years, from both the Milwaukee County and State levels. I'd love to see rails in your city, but look no further than the people who've repeatedly elected this dolt if blame needs to be placed.

you just made that up.:nuts:

http://www.stpaulrealestateblog.com/images/2011/07/e.-4th-street-1.jpg
http://www.stpaulrealestateblog.com/

Great pic!!

I second that!

They were delivering rail track this even to 4th Street between Minnesota and Robert St (First National Bank building). They were hauling super long pieces all the way from 11th Street (north of I-94) to 4th Street. Quite a sight!

I went a little camera happy too. :nuts:

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/2640/dscn0430tb.jpg

http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/8582/dscn0431f.jpg

http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/5955/dscn0435i.jpg

http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/4636/dscn0439v.jpg

http://img713.imageshack.us/img713/9531/dscn0440o.jpg

http://img851.imageshack.us/img851/1720/dscn0441f.jpg

http://img812.imageshack.us/img812/7899/dscn0442gs.jpg

http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/4028/dscn0445a.jpg

http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/6401/dscn0446xj.jpg

http://img847.imageshack.us/img847/1167/dscn0447y.jpg

http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/6667/dscn0449x.jpg

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/2610/dscn0450t.jpg

http://img30.imageshack.us/img30/2133/dscn0451o.jpg

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/9748/dscn0453e.jpg

http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/3860/dscn0454b.jpg

http://img808.imageshack.us/img808/4131/dscn0457o.jpg

http://img847.imageshack.us/img847/5266/dscn0458u.jpg

http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/5420/dscn0461x.jpg

http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/3002/dscn0462bv.jpg

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/5416/dscn0463e.jpg

http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/8374/dscn0464h.jpg

http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/638/dscn0465j.jpg

http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/4199/dscn0466i.jpg

http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/4482/dscn0467b.jpg

http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/8692/dscn0468t.jpg

http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/2645/dscn0469cy.jpg

http://img641.imageshack.us/img641/8388/dscn0470ho.jpg

http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/2865/dscn0471p.jpg

http://img847.imageshack.us/img847/4371/dscn0472nh.jpg

It's now about 9:30pm, I just saw them hauling another piece down the street. Wow! Back outside I go.

Great work!

Looks good but why does this thread say App when it looks like it's U/C?

I started the thread when it was approved. It won't let me edit the title now that it is under construction, I think we would need a moderator to do that.

Oh ok cool the hiawatha line is so cool, nice to see the network expanding in a real way.

Is this central corridor going to act like a streetcar or lightrail? Personally i think this lightrail line should have more overpasses to avoid congested intersections similar to that of the Hiawatha line and other lightrail lines in other cities

Is this central corridor going to act like a streetcar or lightrail? Personally i think this lightrail line should have more overpasses to avoid congested intersections similar to that of the Hiawatha line and other lightrail lines in other cities

I don't think we'll ever see any of the overpasses that Hiawatha has. I don't know how many it has, I know there is one over Lake Street.

I hope eventually that they'll put in tunnels north and southbound at some of the major interesections for the Central Corridor. Snelling Avenue is already a traffic jam at rush hour. It'll be even worse with the LRT. A couple of short (height-wise) bridges over some other intersection wouldn't be bad, and a lot cheaper than tunnels. But I don't think they want to ruin the street level view with a lot of bridges and overpasses.

From the MetCouncil,

A picture of the new skyway footing under construction at 5th and Cedar.
http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/1363.jpg

Is this central corridor going to act like a streetcar or lightrail? Personally i think this lightrail line should have more overpasses to avoid congested intersections similar to that of the Hiawatha line and other lightrail lines in other cities

I agree. But the LRT line will have traffic-signal pre-emption (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_signal_preemption). This gives priority to the train.

In my ideal world, they should have an express train that runs between the two downtowns, perhaps stopping only at the Midway and the U of M.

This might be a stupid question but why doesn't Minneapolis do a subway system? Is it the price of doing it or the foundation and soil that prevents it?

This might be a stupid question but why doesn't Minneapolis do a subway system? Is it the price of doing it or the foundation and soil that prevents it?

Probably.

I know the FTA tends to discourage construction of subways even if there is demand so most cities tend to build light rail systems since they tend to be cheaper to build.

This might be a stupid question but why doesn't Minneapolis do a subway system? Is it the price of doing it or the foundation and soil that prevents it?

The price of a subway/metro system would be astronomical for the Twin Cities. No way in a million years would we be able to shore up the funding for such a gigantic project. As it is, it's a struggle just scrounging up the money needed for light rail.

Taken on Aug 12th from Let There Be Light Rail (http://lettherebelightrail.blogspot.com) blog.

http://photo.blogpressapp.com/big_photos/11/08/12/4297.jpg

http://photo.blogpressapp.com/big_photos/11/08/12/4298.jpg

From the MetCouncil, future 4th and Cedar station site.

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/1387.jpg

The Twin Cities actually has the ideal soil for building tunnels. The reason they arent building the Central Corridor LRT as a subway has everything to do with cost. Street level LRT can cost as little as $10 million per mile. Whereas subway can cost well over $100 million per mile.

Here is a preliminary design concept by TKDA architects of an accessible elevator connection to the skyway over the 4th and Cedar station in downtown St. Paul. The estimate of the cost is $1 million, no funding is available for it presently. I gotta say I like it a lot. Fills in the block somewhat.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sRdwGN2dEJk/TlgI2SteSKI/AAAAAAAAALw/VuNTdcS3UWA/s1600/Skyway%2Bconnection%2Bto%2BLRT.jpg

http://davethuneward2.blogspot.com/2011/08/skyway-connection-to-lrt-at-5th-cedar.html

A pic from St. Paul's Facebook page. Paving is complete on the first section of the north side of University.

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/311347_10150355483411151_79640426150_10197462_653773_n.jpg

A picture of the Union Depot station under construction. From a couple of days ago.

http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/963/dscn0487v.jpg

The Union Depot station's framework is up.

Picture from City of St. Paul's Facebook page.
http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/313636_10150370621516151_79640426150_10318560_1262127553_n.jpg

Some great videos of the recent "rail pull" along University.

http://lettherebelightrail.blogspot.com/2011/09/rail-pull.html

Pictures from the MetCouncil,

The new skyway over the 4th and Cedar stop under construction.
http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/1479.jpg

Crews pulling rail along University Ave.
http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/1482.jpg?a=1107666862675

From today,

The new skyway is now formed.
http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/9761/dscn0505rc.jpg

The Union Depot Station steel is progressing fast. I think this may be the first station that both west and east bound sides have their steel erected.
http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/4778/dscn0506e.jpg

http://img560.imageshack.us/img560/3311/dscn0508z.jpg

Picture from the MetCouncil, near the Westgate station.

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/1496.jpg?a=1107786485181

The Twin Cities actually has the ideal soil for building tunnels. The reason they arent building the Central Corridor LRT as a subway has everything to do with cost. Street level LRT can cost as little as $10 million per mile. Whereas subway can cost well over $100 million per mile.

True. Much of the metro's bedrock is a thick layer of limestone. Below that is a soft sandstone layer which makes tunneling quite easy in that strata.

Pictures from http://lettherebelightrail.blogspot.com/

http://photo.blogpressapp.com/big_photos/11/09/27/3114.jpg

http://photo.blogpressapp.com/big_photos/11/09/27/3115.jpg

http://photo.blogpressapp.com/big_photos/11/09/27/3116.jpg

http://photo.blogpressapp.com/big_photos/11/09/27/3117.jpg

http://photo.blogpressapp.com/big_photos/11/09/27/3118.jpg

Pictures from the MetCouncil,

The Union Depot station taking shape.
http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/1549.jpg?a=1108019118567

The Capital East Station area.
http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/1548.jpg?a=1108018859693

The Operations & Maintenance Facility in Lowertown. Not a great pic. You can't tell by the photo, but they are erecting steel beams for the roof on the far side.

http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/2522/dscn0573e.jpg

Pictures from the MetCouncil,

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/1609.jpg?a=1108243130094
(Photo courtesy Steve Glischinski, TRAINS magazine)

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/1606.jpg?a=1108242933721

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/1608.jpg?a=1108242933721

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/1607.jpg?a=1108243129519

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/1618.jpg?a=1108245421046

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/1619.jpg?a=1108245421046

Some pictures from the MetCouncil,

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/1626.jpg?a=1108369261161
The future East Bank Station

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/1637.jpg?a=1108371275139

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/1635.jpg?a=1108299728053

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/1636.jpg?a=1108299728053
Inside the new skyway.

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/1625.jpg?a=1108299728165
Laying track at Robert and 12th.

A picture from the MetCouncil of the interior of the O&M Facility.

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/1685.jpg

PIctures from the Met Council,

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/1758.jpg

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs040/1102549393035/img/1756.jpg?a=1108917275224

Thanks for continuing to post all the great pics. Do you know when construction of this line will be completed?

Thanks for continuing to post all the great pics. Do you know when construction of this line will be completed?

My pleasure!

Should be finished in mid 2014.

What provisions are being made to prevent salt damage to the vehicles and infrastructure (mainly the rails and electricals) in winter? I can imagine the incredible expense and disruptions that happen whenever something like the rails will have to be replaced.

Also, where can I see detailed, block-by-block maps of where this line is going, especially in DT Saint Paul?

Mike

Also, where can I see detailed, block-by-block maps of where this line is going, especially in DT Saint Paul?

Mike, fairly detailed plans can be found here: http://www.metrocouncil.org/transportation/ccorridor/CCLRTPlansJun2010.htm

^^
Thanx!

Mike