First guideway column in place for Evergreen Line

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
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The first guideway column for the Evergreen Line, an upcoming Metro Vancouver rapid transit line, stands near the south tunnel portal at the corner of Como Lake Avenue and Clarke Road in Coquitlam.
B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure

The Evergreen Line project in Metro Vancouver, BC, Canada, is beginning to take shape, with the first guideway column for the rapid transit line in place.

 

The elevated guideway column stands near the south tunnel portal at the corner of Como Lake Avenue and Clarke Road in Coquitlam.

“The government of Canada is proud to invest in infrastructure projects like the Evergreen Line that create jobs and economic growth and improve public transit for Canadians,” said the Honorable Lisa Raitt, minister of Transport. “This investment demonstrates the government of Canada’s commitment to safe, secure, efficient and environmentally responsible travel and to building the infrastructure Canada needs for a strong future.”

The 11-kilometer (6.8-mile) Evergreen Line will link neighborhoods in Burnaby, Port Moody and Coquitlam and be fully integrated into the existing TransLink system, connecting directly onto the Millennium Line at Lougheed Town Centre Station. The project will create approximately 8,000 direct and indirect jobs during construction. The Evergreen Line is on schedule to open in summer 2016 and is expected to carry up to 70,000 passengers daily by 2021.

Guideway construction will continue in Coquitlam throughout the summer and fall, moving south on North Road to Lougheed Town Centre Station. In early 2014, elevated guideway construction will start in Coquitlam at Coquitlam Central Station and move north to Lafarge Lake-Douglas Station.

In Port Moody, guideway construction will start this summer east of Barnet Highway and continue east towards Moody Centre Station. In the fall, guideway work will start at Inlet Centre Station. In addition, preparation work is underway for guideway construction along the existing railway corridor through Port Moody and Coquitlam. Crews are working to complete the necessary tree removal, build access roads and install culverts and bridges to protect streams.

EGRT Construction is building the elevated and at-grade guideways, a two-kilometer (1.2-mile) bored tunnel, seven stations, power substations, train operating systems and parking facilities, as well as a vehicle-storage and light maintenance facility. To build the elevated guideway, crews construct foundations and columns and an overhead guideway, followed by track work and systems installation.

Funding for the Evergreen Line is a partnership between the government of Canada, the government of British Columbia and TransLink. The estimated project cost is CA$1.43 billion (US$1.38 billion). TransLink will operate the system when it opens in 2016.

 

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