Transportation & Infrastructure news in the Prairie

[Yellow Fever]

Edmonton needs funding guarantee to keep LRT expansion on track


By Nicki Thomas, edmontonjournal.com November 3, 2011 6:32 PM


EDMONTON - The city is preparing funding pitches for the southeast to west LRT line and needs a commitment by next year to keep the project on track, a senior city official said Thursday.

Bob Boutilier, transportation services general manager, said staff met this week to work on funding applications for the $1.5 billion LRT expansion. The city hopes to split the cost three ways with the provincial and federal government, and has already recommended applying to Alberta’s GreenTRIP program — which contributed $497 million to the NAIT LRT extension — for more money.

But Boutilier said the federal Building Canada fund, which contributed $100 million to the NAIT line, is “basically closed up.”

“That won’t stop us. We have to put together an application that we can use to apply to anything that comes up in the federal government,” he said.

Boutilier said he was pleased that Rona Ambrose, MP for Edmonton-Spruce Grove and minister responsible for northern Alberta, made comments recently recognizing the importance of the LRT.

While clarifying her government’s position on funding for the Royal Alberta Museum this week, Ambrose said local MPs know the LRT is the city’s top priority.

“I was quite happy to see the statement,” Boutilier said. “We spent a lot of effort to get that information out there. So I’m going to take that and tack it up on my wall and use it in every presentation.”

Still, the city needs more than that before going ahead with the project after preliminary engineering is completed next year, he said.

“We don’t need the cash or cheque right away but we need a commitment that over a period of four or five years that money will flow. That’s our biggest concern, the commitment. We can’t go out and issue a contract unless we have a guarantee that money is in place,” he said. “That’s why it’s very important for the politicians to figure out how they’re going to do that. It really comes down to council directing us to where to put the application in, how much it ought to be, when do you this want thing built. It really is up to them.” .....


Read more: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/...546/story.html

[Yellow Fever]

Its finished. Traffic flows on the Quesnell Bridge in Edmonton Sept. 27 2011. The final phase of construction on the bridge has been completed and the busiest river crossing structure in Edmonton is completely open to traffic after three years of work to widen the roadway

Photograph by: Ed Kaiser, edmontonjournal.com

[Yellow Fever]

City to study independent commission to oversee Calgary Transit


By Richard Cuthbertson, Calgary Herald November 8, 2011




CALGARY — The city will study whether Calgary Transit should have an independent commission governing its affairs, even as some aldermen worry such an outfit would mean they have less control over one of the most important services to Calgarians.

Ald. Diane Colley-Urquhart argued Tuesday the idea of an independent commission should be looked at with an eye on investigating what might work in this city.

“It’s an important enough concept that we need to look at and examine,” she said.

Many jurisdictions in Eastern Canada do have transit commissions, although their makeup and powers vary widely.

While almost all on Calgary council voted in favour of a report on establishing a transit commission, Ald. Dale Hodges did not and called it the first step on “20 miles of bad road.”

A commission, Hodges said, would always “have their hands out for money,” even as the structure would strip council of its power over transit.

“They are not accountable to the public as city council itself is,” Hodges said.

But Ald. Gord Lowe said there’s no harm in a study that will look at just those issues, adding he wants the scope to include a more regional look at transit.

“If it’s a bad road, I would hope the white paper would clearly point that out,” Lowe said.


Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Ci...#ixzz1dBifXpDe

[Yellow Fever]

New bus route could link LRT with international airport


BY ALEXANDRA ZABJEK, EDMONTONJOURNAL.COM NOVEMBER 10, 2011


EDMONTON - Another public bus to the Edmonton International Airport could be running by next spring under a proposal to operate a full-day, direct route between Century Park LRT station and the airport.

“There has been some criticism that the city of Edmonton is one of the only major Canadian cities that doesn’t have public transportation to its airport. So this has the potential to address the transportation needs to the airport at a reasonable cost to the taxpayer,” said Ken Koropeski, director of service development and fleet support for Edmonton Transit.

A report outlining the proposal, which would be jointly funded by the city and the airport, is scheduled to be discussed by the transportation and infrastructure committee on Tuesday. The discussion comes about one year after the city and county of Leduc started its C-line commuter bus service between Leduc, Nisku, the airport and Century Park.

But Koropeski said the C-Line targets commuters and students who travel between Edmonton and the Leduc area; it runs on weekdays with four morning and four afternoon trips. The new service would target airport workers and people travelling from the airport, Koropeski said, and would run every day between 5 a.m. and 12:30 a.m.

The bus trip would cost riders $5, separate from any other ETS fees, or $100 for a month-long pass. City staff estimates revenue from the service at approximately $600,000 per year, based on an average of 10 passengers per one-way trip, with most of them airport workers using monthly passes. The service would run every half-hour during peak times, and every hour otherwise.....

read more: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/...292/story.html

[Yellow Fever]

Redford wants an end to S.W. ring road debate

Premier Alison Redford made it clear she wants to see a resolution to the drawn-out southwest ring road debate, a project that politicians and Tsuu T’ina leaders have been working for decades to complete. Redford told the Calgary Herald editorial board it’s time to push ahead.



Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/ca...#ixzz1de9NI8s3

[Yellow Fever]

Edmonton mayor gets no support for saving Walterdale Bridge

By Gordon Kent, edmontonjournal.com November 15, 2011 7:06 PM




EDMONTON — The Walterdale Bridge appears headed for demolition after Mayor Stephen Mandel failed to find support Tuesday to save the historic structure.

“Once you tear it down, it’s gone. It’s a piece of history,” Mandel told the transportation and infrastructure committee.

“I think we should try to preserve it. There’s a desire on the administration side not to preserve it. I don’t know why we can’t come up with some common ground.”

A signature replacement is slated to open in 2015 when the 98-year-old Walterdale is due to be removed, but councillors started looking last spring at keeping the old bridge as a pedestrian crossing or a scenic lookout.

Transportation officials have repeatedly recommended sticking to the original demolition plan, saying the Walterdale would interfere with trail connections and might be too narrow to hold a open-air market.

Retaining the structure might also make it harder to receive the environmental approvals needed for the new bridge and would require millions of dollars worth of work, partly offset by savings in such areas as demolition costs.

“I spend a lot of time arguing for the preservation of historic things, but … all the things we have been talking about in terms of connectivity and esthetics aren’t served by leaving the two (bridges) there,” Coun. Ben Henderson said.

The Walterdale’s fate could still be raised at a city council meeting. Planners have said pieces of it might be used in some way if the bridge is removed.

gkent@edmontonjournal.com

[Yellow Fever]

City of Edmonton staff search for $800M in LRT money



By Gordon Kent, edmontonjournal.com November 22, 2011





Construction continues on the LRT line on 104th Street near the Royal Alexandra Hospital on Nov. 3, 2011, as the 2011 transportation construction season nears completion.




EDMONTON - City councillors pushed ahead with LRT expansion plans Tuesday by asking staff to find $800 million for the project in hopes of starting construction within three years.

The proposal would see LRT trains running to Mill Woods from downtown by 2018, including a maintenance yard at Whitemud Drive and 75th Street that might be built as a public-private partnership, Coun. Amarjeet Sohi said.

“What we have done is we have put money on the table … and shown the provincial and federal governments that we’re serious about it,” he said.

“There is some urgency to move ahead on the LRT, particularly the land purchases.”

The NAIT LRT line is scheduled to be ready in 2014.

The transportation branch is doing preliminary work on the estimated $1.4-billion southeast project and buying property as it becomes available, in anticipation of beginning detailed design next year.

While the city hopes the federal and provincial governments will each pay one-third of the cost to expand the LRT system, which will eventually be extended west to Lewis Estates, they haven’t officially allocated anything yet.

The price for the entire 27-kilometre low-floor system is expected to be about $3 billion.

Sohi hopes council’s latest move spurs support from the other levels of government.

“We wouldn’t need money until 2014. That’s when the construction work starts,” he said. “That’s why we have time to sit down with our partners and look at how they can provide funds.”

A report is due back to council next year.....


Read more: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/...104/story.html

[Yellow Fever]

Speeding work of Mill Woods LRT could involve tax hike, public-private partnership

By Gordon Kent, edmontonjournal.com February 16, 2012


EDMONTON - Funding a “fast-track” plan to start Mill Woods LRT construction by 2014 could involve a public-private partnership or a 5.4-per-cent tax hike, a new report says.

Councillors voted last November to push ahead with LRT despite tight budgets, asking staff to find ways the city could provide $800 million toward the $1.8-billion line from 2014 to 2018.

They want the federal and provincial governments to kick in the rest of the cash.

A report released Thursday says the city could borrow its entire share of the LRT budget, pushing up property taxes 5.4 per cent over four years, or borrow less by diverting $200 million from other work.

This would only require a four-per-cent tax increase for debt payments, but would reduce the money available for other projects and maintaining existing infrastructure, which is already underfunded.

The third option is to use a public-private partnership, in which a private company would provide part of the financing and design, build and maintain the system, usually for 30 years.

The federal government’s $1.2-billion P3 Canada Fund can pay up to one-quarter of eligible costs for approved projects, the report says.

A city study has already concluded a P3 is probably worthwhile for building the entire line from Lewis Estates to Mill Woods, but planners are looking at whether it would work just for the southeast portion....


Read more:http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/...353/story.html

[Fozzy33]

I like the idea that cites like Edmonton moving forward on getting things down. A note which mayor Sam Katz of Winnipeg could be taking a look at.

[Yellow Fever]

Are tolls the fairest way to build new highways?

April 30, 2012. 10:27 am • Section: Commute




The challenges of building new infrastructure were tragically highlighted this weekend, as another fatal collision took place on Highway 63 near Fort McMurray, this time a crash that claimed seven lives.

Fort McMurray residents have been calling for the busy highway to be twinned for years, and are expressing outrage over the latest deaths.

While it’s difficult to pin such collisions on any single factor, the focus has turned to the state of the highway at a time when getting new routes built is increasingly difficult all over North America as governments tighten purse strings. To be fair, the Alberta government has committed to twinning Highway 63 , and logistics seem to be the biggest factor in its delay, a bigger debate over the funding of new highways has emerged, especially in the U.S where public funds are nonexistent in many states.

The debate always seems to lead to the same question — are tolls the most fair and quickest way to pay for new highways? Many Alberta residents remember the toll on B.C.’s Coquihalla highway, which was brought in amid much controversy two decades ago when the Kamloops-to-Hope highway was built, and was quietly removed a couple of years ago after the road was paid for.

B.C. is moving ahead with several toll projects. The Golden Ears bridge spanning the Fraser River near Surrey uses electronic tolls which automatically bills the accounts of drivers. The massive new Port Mann/Highway 1 project near Langley will be a toll bridge.

Postmedia columnist Andrew Coyne argued in favour of toll roads during his time at Maclean’s magazine last year, saying they are the simplest, most effective way to solve the country’s infrastructure deficit. “In essence, roads are an example of the ‘tragedy of the commons.’” he wrote. “The failure to charge for them leads to their overuse, the same way an open pasture will soon be nibbled bare, as every farmer races to be the first to bring his sheep to graze for fear of being crowded out by the rest.”

http://blogs.calgaryherald.com/2012/...-new-highways/

[Yellow Fever]

Hard going in soft ground for LRT tunnel crew


By Dave Cooper, edmontonjournal.com May 6, 2012 7:01 PM







EDMONTON - Metre by metre, Edmonton’s north LRT tunnel workers are clawing their way through soft glacial till and clay toward the basement of the new Epcor Tower parkade.

They’re still west of 101st Street, and the parkade would mark the halfway point to linking with Churchill station, but to say the progress is slow may be an understatement.

The engineers are the first to agree, saying if this was solid rock, the job would be much quicker — just drill and blast.

But soft ground demands extreme care, especially under a city.

“The crews are working around the clock on the north and south parallel tunnels in two, 12-hour shifts,” tunnel manager Tom Chavner says.

The forward progress is about two metres every 24 hours, which suggests the northbound tunnel will break into the pre-built segment under the Epcor Tower within the next few weeks.

The southbound tunnel is a few weeks behind that.

While logic might suggest one large tunnel would be easier to build, engineering standards now call for two parallel tunnels with about two metres between them to provide better support during construction.

The two tunnels are being built using the common “sequential excavation method” developed six decades ago in Europe.

In the past, the downtown LRT was dug out with large tunnel boring machines nicknamed “moles,” which the city still uses to dig waste water lines.

But the curve on the north LRT route is too sharp for a mole, and there’s no way to remove it after breaking through into Churchill station.

The sequential excavation method involves several steps, says Brad Baumle, project controls manager for the North Link Partnership, a joint venture with Graham Infrastructure of Calgary and SNC-Lavalin of Montreal.

First step is the excavation of the top half of the circular tunnel. Because of the extremely tight space, the compact excavator must back all the way out of the tunnel.

Next, a front-end loader enters to scoop away the debris and a crew installs metal pieces and ribs to maintain the tunnel’s shape.

Then, they return to spray on shotcrete — a fast-drying concrete — to the exposed ground.

The excavator then digs out the bottom of the circle, followed by the rest of the process.

All this work leaves a strong section of dried concrete, and the tunnel has moved forward one metre.

“It is slow, but the space is so tight down there we have no other way, until we hit the Epcor basement,” Baumle says.

With foresight, the city saved $140 million by building that segment during the tower’s construction, which will provide extra room that will make digging the section to Churchill station much easier.

“We will be able to load trucks and have two-way traffic in that portion for the rest of the tunnelling, so that will help us.”

The segment from the Epcor basement to Churchill station is about 250 metres, and Baumle estimates they should arrive by the end of this year or in early 2013.

The tunnel will then be lined with poured concrete, permanent utilities will be installed and tracks laid.

The target is to have the work complete by late 2013, allowing for several months of testing before the grand opening of the 3.3-kilometre, $755-million line in April 2014.

So far, the concrete foundations for the surface MacEwan station are well underway. Immediately to the east, trains going downtown will begin their descent into the tunnel, entering a portal which is also partially complete.

The large mountains of earth piled around 105th Avenue came from the station and portal area, as well as the tunnel. The earth will be used to cover the portal structure.

Baumle’s next challenge is installing a sophisticated European rail-switching system in the next few weeks just east of Churchill station. That will allow trains from either Clareview or NAIT to travel south on the same track, and trains heading north to go to either NAIT or Clareview.

When the north extension opens, trains will travel between the Health Sciences Centre and NAIT, in addition to the current service between Century Park and Clareview.


http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/...561/story.html

[Yellow Fever]

Saskatoon’s airport thriving: chair


By Jason Warick, The StarPhoenix May 14, 2012 8:54 PM


Saskatoon’s airport is thriving, with record passenger volumes and an upcoming $53-million terminal expansion, officials say.

“This is an increasingly important gateway connecting Saskatoon to the world,” Saskatoon Airport Authority chair Nancy Hopkins said Monday. Hopkins was speaking at the authority’s annual general meeting held in one of the airport’s baggage areas.

The airport processed a record 1.2 million passengers in 2011, up 2.5 per cent over 2010.

The flights also reach more destinations than ever. There are 22 daily direct flights to Canadian destinations and 36 weekly flights to Saskatchewan destinations. There are daily flights to five American destinations year-round, as well as seasonal direct flights to two other U.S. cities.

The terminal expansion, which begins this year and is expected to be completed in 2014, will almost double the size of the existing building. It pier style will be easily expandable in future years, the annual report says. It’s part of a total capital investment of $115 million at the airport during the next 10 years.

At the meeting, it was also announced that longtime authority CEO Bill Restall will retire after 27 years in the position.

“I want to thank you for making our airport the thriving enterprise it is today,” Hopkins said.

Restall, who is originally from Winnipeg, said he and his family planned to stay in Saskatoon “for three or four years,” but loved the city and stayed. Restall said he’ll now have to “try to find something else to do.”

Mayor Don Atchison thanked Restall for his service to Saskatoon and said the bustling airport is testament to his years of work.


Read more: http://www.thestarphoenix.com/Saskat...#ixzz1uuL9W7KQ

[Yellow Fever]

Edmonton is shopping for a bridge again. What do you think?

June 1, 2012. 3:36 pm • Section: Edmonton Commons, The Edmonton Commons

ShareThis 202 12115


Single pylon or extradosed?

Should the new LRT bridge over the North Saskatchewan River be an icon to catch the eye, or should it blend as much as possible into the backdrop of the natural valley?

The new LRT bridge for the southeast to west line will be replace the current pedestrian bridge just east of Louise McKinney Park. This week, the transportation department released images of six possible bridge structures prepared by consultants. They are not holding a competition.

“These are the six options we’re presenting to the public that are feasible,” said Nat Alampi, program manager for LRT design and construction.

They will pick one option as a final recommendation to city council. That decision will be made by balancing the capital costs, expected ongoing maintenance costs and public opinion, said Alampi.

“Some stakeholders in the communities all along the corridor would really like to have the bridge hidden and just respect the river valley; have a very minimalistic bridge. But then we get other stakeholders who say, look, this is an opportunity to create an iconic structure for the City of Edmonton. This is the postcard view of the City of Edmonton,” he said.

City consultants are writing preliminary engineering plans for the whole line now, hoping to be done planning the southeast section by spring 2013 and the west leg by the fall.

So what do you think? Does Edmonton need something new and different in this spot? Or should it go with the cheapest option? Do any of these designs say subtle and elegant to you? What do you think of the process?

The budget for the bridge is $40 million to $70 million (cheaper than the Walterdale because the river is narrower)....



Option 6 – Single pylon cable stayed bridge option


Option 1 – Variable depth girder bridge option


Option 2 – Delta-capped pier bridge option


Option 3 – Three arches bridge option (above).


Option 4 – Single arch bridge option


Option 5 – Extradosed bridge option

source: http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/201...-do-you-think/

[Diesel_Power]

Option 6

[Yellow Fever]

I personally think the option 6 is a little bit overkill for a such a narrow span. You can see that half of the bridge will be actually on the shore instead of over the water., so whats good about that? My choice would be either one or two.

[gan4volta]

Option 1

[Yellow Fever]

The Circle Drive south project continues to inch toward completion.

The StarPhoenix July 23, 2012





City officials toured media through the massive project on Monday.

The $300-million project remains roughly one month behind the scheduled Sept. 30 completion date. The heavy rainfall Thursday morning set crews back, but the sunshine this week is helping, said Doug Drever, project manager for the city.

“Construction is taking place all over the project,” Drever said before the tour.

The concrete deck of the new south bridge continued to be poured, including another section close to the centre Monday afternoon. The bridge deck will be finished by the end of July, Drever said.

The five new interchanges are in various stages of completion.

The closed section of Lorne. Avenue is expected to be reopened following the August long weekend.

Mayor Don Atchison said he wouldn’t speculate on a completion date nor the potential penalty for the contractor. The delay means the contractor in charge of the project — a joint venture between Graham Construction and Flatiron Construction — faces a penalty of $10,000 per day starting Oct. 1 unless an agreement is reached.

“There’s massive amount of work that still needs to be done,” Atchison said. “If the weather would co-operate we’d be much further along. I don’t want to talk about penalties before we get to the other end. Maybe we’ll come across good fortunes here and we’ll still get the project done (on time).”



Read more: http://www.thestarphoenix.com/Circle...#ixzz21WMkM5F7

[Yellow Fever]

Bridge opening date uncertain




Work remains on $300M project



By David Hutton, The StarPhoenix October 2, 2012


Saskatoon's south bridge is essentially complete - but the rest of the project still has some major work before the road can open, the city manager said.

The $300-million road project - five interchanges, the south bridge and 10 kilometres of freeway - was scheduled to open one month behind schedule at the end of October, but whether or not it will open to traffic this year is unknown, city manager Murray Totland said on a media tour of the project Monday.

"We'll continue to assess (the project) as the weather holds," Totland told reporters. "As soon as the weather turns and it doesn't look like we're going to be able to continue construction, I think we'll be in a better position to make a call on exactly what the final status of the project will be before we get into winter."

Graham-Flatiron, the joint venture in charge of the project, faces a $10,000-perday penalty starting Oct. 1 until traffic gets moving, but contends wet weather and land procurement delays set construction back.

The city's lawyers have not had discussions with Graham-Flatiron on whether a penalty will be imposed, Totland said. The contractual details "are not subject to public discussion or disclosure," a city press release says.

"We really do want to focus on what it's going to take to get this project complete right now," Totland said. "We will have discussions to that end eventually. I'm not sure what purpose those discussions would serve right now."

Several elements of the project are nearing completion, including the six-lane south bridge, which only requires a median, lights and road paint.

The 440-metre bridge - by far the longest in Saskatoon - is the first in the city to have concrete surface, giving it a "California buzz" for motorists crossing, Totland said.

Sections of the road from Lorne Avenue to 11th Street are paved and the interchange structures complete, but many of the connecting roads need significant work.

The portion of the project furthest behind is the offramps connecting Idylwyld Drive to Circle Drive. The area between Idylwyld Drive and Lorne Avenue was delayed significant due to wet weather and a high water table in the area, Totland said.

The city and the contractor will consider whether to open sections of the project, Totland said, but safety is the primary concern. The city doesn't want to create additional delays or cause safety problems if a segment of the road is opened.

"When we're dealing with a project as large and complex as this, safety is of paramount importance to us," Totland said. "We would not open a project when it isn't safe to do so. We have to be careful if we do in fact open parts of the project that it doesn't cause problems later when we're trying to complete the rest of the work. We'll be looking at that in the coming weeks."

The pedestrian walkway underneath the bridge is complete but not connected so it will not open this year, Totland said. Major landscaping work won't get started until next spring.

dhutton@thestarphoenix.com


Read more: http://www.thestarphoenix.com/Bridge...#ixzz28aq0NFhB

[Yellow Fever]

Circle Drive South project likely delayed until spring: Atchison


By Charles Hamilton, The StarPhoenix November 2, 2012




Citing early winter conditions in the city, Saskatoon’s mayor announced Friday the completion of the Circle Drive South project will likely be delayed until spring.

“I think you can see the way things are today, that the likelihood of getting anything else done is relatively remote,” said Mayor Don Atchison.

“The weather forecast was supposed to be a warm, dry, relatively hot fall season. Since Thanksgiving, basically, it hasn’t been so we have been unable to get the work done.”

The $300-million road project – which includes five interchanges, the south bridge and 10 kilometres of freeway – had been scheduled to open at the end of October, one month behind the original schedule.

Sections of the road from Lorne Avenue to 11th Street are paved and the interchange structures complete, but many of the connecting roads need significant work. The portion of the project furthest behind is the off-ramps connecting Idylwyld Drive to Circle Drive. The area between Idylwyld Drive and Lorne Avenue was delayed.

Under the contract with the city, Graham-Flatiron, the joint venture in charge of the project, could face up to a $10,000-per-day penalty starting Oct. 1 until traffic gets moving. The company contends wet weather and land procurement delays set construction back. The winter conditions now make it impossible to lay asphalt.



Read more: http://www.thestarphoenix.com/Circle...#ixzz2B8ldxI81



Read more: http://www.thestarphoenix.com/Circle...#ixzz2B8lVWe5P

[Yellow Fever]

LRT tunnel connecting NAIT to Churchill station unveiled



By Gordon Kent, Edmonton Journal November 16, 2012





EDMONTON - Another milestone was reached Friday on NAIT LRT construction when political leaders unveiled a tunnel connecting the new system to Churchill station.

“It’s pretty exciting, I mean just being able to link the community together,” Mayor Stephen Mandel told a news conference on the Churchill LRT platform.

“It’s also a stepping stone off to St. Albert and the southeast (expansion).”

Crews have been working around the clock since January digging curving southbound and northbound tunnels 700 metres from the west side of 101st Street under the Epcor Tower to meet the existing LRT line.

Trains went slowly past this meeting point for months earlier in the year while rail-switching apparatus was installed that will send cars to either NAIT or Clareview.

The tunnel-opening ceremony interrupted service at Churchill for about three hours.

Workers still have to lay track through the tunnel, although the three surface station platforms at MacEwan, Kingsway/Royal Alex and NAIT are finished, and rail placement from MacEwan station to NAIT is almost done.

The $755-million LRT line is scheduled to start operating in April 2014.

“For the first time in the history of this city, four major post-secondary institutions will be connected by LRT,” said deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk, including NAIT, the University of Alberta, MacEwan and Norquest College...

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/tunne...035/story.html