Construction on Metro Vancouver’s newest SkyTrain route, the Evergreen Line, has been surging ahead for nearly two years, and there are now signs of major progress.
The $1.4-billion is an expansion of existing SkyTrain infrastructure and will consist of six new stations along a new 11-km track that begins at Lougheed Town Centre Station, runs through Port Moody and ends near Douglas College near Coquitlam Centre.
The majority of the line will run at ground level or along an elevated track, except for a short 2-km tunnel span between Burquitlam and Port Moody stations. A single 9.84-metre diameter tunnel, built with a 1,100 tonne tunnel boring machine, will fit a pair of tracks for both train travel directions. At its deepest point, the tunnel will reach a depth of nearly 50-metres below the surface.
While the Evergreen Line is quickly taking its form, the project has not been problem free. Since our last photo update in January 2014, there have been a number of construction incidents including shifts with the gantry crane and elevated guideway track.
Early last week, a deep sinkhole formed directly above the Evergreen Line tunnel boring route at a parking lot in Port Moody. It is believed that sand caved in when the boring machine stopped for routine maintenance.
Unexpected sandy soil conditions have also delayed the progress of tunnel boring resulting in the need to change the boring machine’s cutter head.
The Evergreen Line is still scheduled for a summer 2016 opening. Trains for the new line will begin their travels at the Millennium Line’s VCC-Clark Station before switching to the new track at Lougheed.
Commuters will be able to travel to the Lafarge Lake-Douglas terminus from Lougheed in 15-minutes and approximately 45-minutes from VCC-Clark.
- SEE ALSO:
The new third platform at Lougheed Town Centre Station for the Evergreen Line takes shape.
Image: Vancity Buzz
Image: Gabriel Lam/Vancity Buzz
Image: Gabriel Lam/Vancity Buzz
The new steel-fabricated elevated guideway makes a turn north onto North Road at Lougheed.
Image: Evergreen Line Project Office
The concrete elevated guideway runs along a median down North Road.
Image: Gabriel Lam/Vancity Buzz
The Burquitlam Station structure takes form.
Image: Gabriel Lam/Vancity Buzz
Image: Gabriel Lam/Vancity Buzz
Image: Gabriel Lam/Vancity Buzz
The Evergreen Line route transitions from elevated to underground at the tunnel portal located at the intersection of Como Lake and Clarke Road.
Image: Gabriel Lam/Vancity Buzz
The tunnel boring entry pit is located on the west side of Barnet Highway near Clarke Street. This is where the tunnel ends and emerges as a ground-level track for Port Moody.
Image: Gabriel Lam/Vancity Buzz
The transition from the underground to a ground-level guideway on the east side of Barnet Highway near Clarke Street.
Image: Gabriel Lam/Vancity Buzz
The ground-level guideway begins to run parallel to CP Rail tracks.
Image: Gabriel Lam/Vancity Buzz
Image: Gabriel Lam/Vancity Buzz
The beginnings of Port Moody Station, looking east. The station will double as an interchange station for the existing West Coast Express stop.
Image: Gabriel Lam/Vancity Buzz
Image: Gabriel Lam/Vancity Buzz
The process of laying the rail tracks has begun.
Image: Gabriel Lam/Vancity Buzz
Image: Gabriel Lam/Vancity Buzz
The station structure for Inlet Centre Station begins to emerge. The platform level is located underneath the road overpass.
Image: Gabriel Lam/Vancity Buzz
Image: Evergreen Line Project Office
Coquitlam Central Station begins to take shape.
Image: Gabriel Lam/Vancity Buzz
A 300-tonne gantry crane is used to lift the Evergreen Line’s elevated concrete segments into place near Coquitlam Central Station.
Image: Gabriel Lam/Vancity Buzz
Each pre-fabricated concrete elevated guideway slab weighs between 23 and 26 tonnes.
Image: Gabriel Lam/Vancity Buzz
Looking towards Coquitlam Centre shopping centre: concrete columns running parallel to Pinetree Way to support the elevated guideway take form.
Image: Gabriel Lam/Vancity Buzz
Construction begins on the Lincoln Station structure. This station will directly service Coquitlam Centre and the emerging town centre neighbourhood.
Image: Gabriel Lam/Vancity Buzz
A steel-fabricated elevated guideway is used for the street crossover one Pinetree Way near Northern Avenue.
Image: Gabriel Lam/Vancity Buzz
Lafarge Lake-Douglas Station is the Coquitlam terminus for the Evergreen Line.
Image: Gabriel Lam/Vancity Buzz
The tail track of the Evergreen Line; the end of the line, just beyond Lafarge Lake-Douglas Station.
Image: Vancity Buzz
Feature Image: Gabriel Lam/Vancity Buzz
