The airport portion of the Canada Line rapid transit project will be used for testing and commissioning before operations start on the rest of the line in late 2009.
LIGHT RAPID TRANSIT
RICHMOND
A Canada Line construction milestone was celebrated at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) with the pouring of concrete for the final elevated guide way column on Sea Island.
The airport portion of the Canada Line rapid transit project will be used for testing and commissioning before operations start on the rest of the line in late 2009.
In all, 28,000 cubic metres of concrete and 4,400 tonnes of rebar form the 81 columns and 880 precast guide way segments of the airport portion of the line. (For more on how B.C. is using concrete, see the Journal’s pull out section).
Larry Berg, President and CEO, Vancouver International Airport Authority said: “The Canada Line is a vital component of our long-term gateway strategy, and is an important investment in the future as we continue developing the airport to meet the growing demand for air travel, and ensure it remains an important economic generator for B.C.”
The 19-kilometre Canada Line, for which the airport authority contributed $300-million, will add the equivalent of a 10-lane roadway connecting downtown Vancouver, Richmond City Centre and YVR. A key part of the Sea Island transportation network, it will provide passengers and the more than 26,000 employees who work at YVR (a number expected to grow to 41,000 by 2027) with an alternative to sharing the road with other local traffic.
The YVR portion of the Canada Line consists of 2.3 kilometres of elevated guide way and 1.7 kilometres of ground-level or “at-grade” guide way.
Building a portion of the line on Sea Island at grade allows for a possible north-south aircraft taxiway in the future, providing airplanes with passage over Grant McConachie Way and the Canada Line to reach the other side of the airfield quickly and make the most efficient use of YVR’s runway system.
There will be three stations on Sea Island initially, with space reserved for a fourth station as required in the future.
JOC NEWS SERVICE
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