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(06-06-2016, 07:24 PM)GtwoK Wrote: It occurred to me the other day that we're probably at peak closure capacity right now. I don't think we'll have any more intersections closed at a time than we do currently. It's all uphill from here!
And I thought we hit that back in March!
But then Charles has been taking its sweet time opening back up.
Like, they could totally open Charles from Water to Ontario now.
But... they... don't...
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/GRT_ROW">@GRT_ROW</a> buses are now getting caught in the Water St traffic jam. How about opening Charles back up? <a href="https://twitter.com/rideIONrt">@rideIONrt</a> <a href="https://t.co/324InnBJPq">pic.twitter.com/324InnBJPq</a></p>— Mark Jackson-Brown (@Markster3000) <a href="https://twitter.com/Markster3000/status/738499467079487491">June 2, 2016</a></blockquote>
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I think a second coat of asphalt is about to go on -- see the paint around the manhole covers.
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Anybody else fascinated by watching construction progress? I stood here a good 30 minutes today just watching them roll out the pavement! It's great seeing this finally just about complete, embedded track and all. We're almost there!
![[Image: 9Qko2uY.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/9Qko2uY.jpg)
![[Image: eao8Ikn.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/eao8Ikn.jpg)
![[Image: xJfAf7j.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/xJfAf7j.jpg)
Back at Queen / Charles, there's something strange going on. This median isn't in any of the plans, and I'm not sure what purpose it would serve? ALSO: note the depressed curb against the strip mall property. Could this be for another entrance to the parking lot? Seems EXTREMELY close to the intersection; the depressed curb for the crosswalk is just out of frame!
![[Image: zf6Qo8a.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/zf6Qo8a.jpg)
Anyway, ground here was also steam rolled today. I don't know if they'll pour asphalt before embedding track or not (the intersection is supposed to reopen next week...)
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(06-07-2016, 10:13 PM)GtwoK Wrote: Back at Queen / Charles, there's something strange going on. This median isn't in any of the plans, and I'm not sure what purpose it would serve? ALSO: note the depressed curb against the strip mall property. Could this be for another entrance to the parking lot? Seems EXTREMELY close to the intersection; the depressed curb for the crosswalk is just out of frame!
Those two things could go hand in hand. They may allow right turns from Queen to enter the parking lot, but to avoid the dangerous left turns they built the median.
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(06-07-2016, 10:13 PM)GtwoK Wrote: Anybody else fascinated by watching construction progress? I stood here a good 30 minutes today just watching them roll out the pavement! It's great seeing this finally just about complete, embedded track and all. We're almost there!
Heh, did you see my post over here?
http://www.waterlooregionconnected.com/s...8#pid22538
A few friends and I camped out for 2~3 hours watching the Queen St work. Overnight.
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06-08-2016, 06:15 AM
(This post was last modified: 06-08-2016, 07:01 AM by Canard.)
It's safe to say GtwoK is not the only one excited by this project! Some of us may also be slightly enthused about the idea of urban rail coming to Waterloo Region. 
As I've mentioned, my folks live not too far from Bombardier's Millhaven facility, where our trains were previously only to undergo high-speed testing - but now trains 6-14 will also be built here. They were in the area yesterday running some errands, and grabbed a couple of photos for me.
Here's the test track our trains will be blasting along, hopefully by year's end! This is the track that runs along the North end of the facility, and was built for testing Toroto's TR (MOVIA) subway sets. I spotted the catenary going up earlier this year and suspected that this was where our FLEXITY Freedom sets would get to stretch their legs.
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(06-07-2016, 10:13 PM)GtwoK Wrote: Anyway, ground here was also steam rolled today. I don't know if they'll pour asphalt before embedding track or not (the intersection is supposed to reopen next week...)
That's what it looks like. Paving equipment in position this morning next to Charles & Queen ...
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What is this rebar for? Ten long cylindrical rebar constructs. Anyone know?
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06-08-2016, 10:35 AM
(This post was last modified: 06-08-2016, 10:40 AM by ElsieEm.)
Those are for the poles they put up (cat poles?). I was surprised how deep they go! Here are some pics I took (from my living room window) of them being placed at Duke & Water.
First they dug (drilled really) the hole, then put in the cylinder, then they filled it with concrete.
![[Image: yYoEMkU.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/yYoEMkU.jpg)
![[Image: DxBdf4f.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/DxBdf4f.jpg)
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06-08-2016, 11:11 AM
(This post was last modified: 06-08-2016, 11:12 AM by Canard.)
Those may be for the "type 2" Catpole with tensioner we're seeing installed in certain sections. When it's an I-beam, the tensioner counterweight is external. When it's round, the counterweight is inside the cylindrical pole. The deep foundation would suggest high lateral loads - ie, a tensioner.
These "type 2" catpoles with tensioner are starting to pop up at the OMSF and just outside of Clay and Glass.
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Thanks! I think Charles already has catpole bases installed between Gaukel and Queen, so they could possibly be for the Queen-Benton stretch. But the rebar is two blocks away from there, so it seems to be a bit of stretch.
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(06-08-2016, 10:35 AM)ElsieEm Wrote: Those are for the poles they put up (cat poles?). I was surprised how deep they go! Here are some pics I took (from my living room window) of them being placed at Duke & Water.
Wait, you mean you aren't raising hell and writing to the City/Region/Newspaper and complaining about the pole that's going to positively ruin the view out of your window?!
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(06-08-2016, 11:11 AM)Canard Wrote: Those may be for the "type 2" Catpole with tensioner we're seeing installed in certain sections. When it's an I-beam, the tensioner counterweight is external. When it's round, the counterweight is inside the cylindrical pole. The deep foundation would suggest high lateral loads - ie, a tensioner.
These "type 2" catpoles with tensioner are starting to pop up at the OMSF and just outside of Clay and Glass.
Why are the ballasts(?) numbered?
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(06-08-2016, 11:24 AM)Markster Wrote: (06-08-2016, 10:35 AM)ElsieEm Wrote: Those are for the poles they put up (cat poles?). I was surprised how deep they go! Here are some pics I took (from my living room window) of them being placed at Duke & Water.
Wait, you mean you aren't raising hell and writing to the City/Region/Newspaper and complaining about the pole that's going to positively ruin the view out of your window?!
Haha, well since our view was already marred by stoplights etc I'm not sure what case I could have made... Truly though, as someone who literally lives right in the middle of the construction with all the noise and vibration, who's driveway has been inaccessible for months, and now has the wonderful Victoria detour traffic to deal with the only time I've ever considered contacting the newspaper was over our garbage collection when Duke/Water was fully closed. For more than 2 months it was a constant battle, phone calls every week etc. We had to give up using our green bin which pained us deeply lol.
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