The opening of the Evergreen Line is still a year away but station construction has been progressing rapidly, according to project director Amanda Farrell.
During a media tour of two new stations — Burquitlam and Moody Centre — she told reporters that all of the stops along the line are between 90 and 99% complete, while the overall project just passed the 80% completion mark.
“The stations are at an advanced stage,” she said. “We have come a long way and we are very excited to be ready to open the system in early 2017.”
The two stations featured during last Friday’s tour show the different ways the facilities will integrate into their neighbourhoods.
She said Burquitlam, for example, shows how transit-oriented development can interact with the new rapid transit line, pointing to the cranes and high-density towers going up around the project.
Passengers — 9,000 per day by the Ministry of Transportation’s estimates — will access the station by bus or on foot but the city of Coquitlam has been mulling the idea of putting a park and ride facility nearby.
Meanwhile, Moody Centre works more as a transit hub, connecting commuters with West Coast Express, buses, SkyTrain and a park-and-ride facility, which will be located where two warehouses currently sit.
Farrell said the buildings on the southwest portion of the station will be knocked down to make way for 85 new parking spaces. Another park-and-ride will be located at Coquitlam Station.
Once the stations are complete, plaza construction around the SkyTrain stops will commence, and Farrell said her team has engaged the cities of Port Moody and Coquitlam regarding art for the public spaces.
Lessons have been learned from past rapid transit lines, she added.
Both stations feature well-lit, open areas with lots of glass to ensure that sightlines are unimpeded, designs Farrell said work to make sure passengers feel safer as they navigate the transit hubs.
But while the stations are close to completion, construction on the rest of the project is expected to continue until early next year.
Farrell acknowledged that tunnel boring issues held up the line, which was originally expected to be finished in spring 2016 but has now been pushed back to early 2017.
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