Drivers and pedestrians tired of the Evergreen Line construction only have one more year of disruption, promises project director Amanda Farrell, and then testing will begin on the $1.4 billion Burnaby to Coquitlam rapid transit project.
"We are very appreciative of the patience of the people of Coquitlam and Port Moody," said Farrell, who is also the president and CEO of Partnerships BC. "They've really been awesome. We've tried to minimize disruption but we know you can't build a project as large as this without some issues."
There have been a few concerns over the last 12 months - a sinkhole formed above the tunnel boring in Port Moody and a segment of the guideway shifted at the intersection of Clarke Road and Como Lake in Coquitlam - but they were fixed at no extra cost to taxpayers.
Over the next 12 months, as construction on the guideway comes to completion and the tracks and systems are put in place, Tri-City residents can expect to see several milestones reached in 2015.
"There will be details but a lot of the civic work should be in place by the end of the year," Farrell said.
The guideway along Pinetree Way will be completed this spring, the at-grade portion along the CP rail track will be finished in the first half of the year and the stations will start to take shape, with the installation of escalators, glass, elevators and plazas. Even the the tunnel boring will reach a milestone when "Alice" finally breaks through. (It's currently taking a break while the cutter tools are replaced.)
"It's sitting under Cecile Drive in Port Moody," Farrell said, acknowledging that one of the challenges of boring the tunnel is the abrasiveness of the rock and sand, which wear down the cutting tools.
The way the timeline works, the first half of 2015 will see the civil construction work completed, with the systems and track work finished up by the end of the year.
New cars are also coming this summer, but likely they will be introduced first on the rest of the line.
"It's a fantastic project and it's really a privilege to work on it," Farrell said.
Evergreen Line Fast Facts
Cost: $1.4 billion
Scheduled opening summer of 2016
Length 11 km, 7 stations
Travel time, 15 minutes from Lougheed Town Centre to Coquitlam
Construction status: 50% complete
