[St. John's] Transport development (Highways, Airport, and Public Transit)

[Arrakis]

Just noticed today that the traffic light poles are now installed and in place at the Torbay Rd and Hebron Way intersection. Good to see this finally happening.

[ajcoffey]

Team Gushue Highway delayed

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfou...ited-1.2706625

[Arrakis]

LOL. It's no wonder that friggin highway is delayed. There's been hardly any activity on it for the last two years.

Originally Posted by ajcoffey

Team Gushue Highway delayed

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfou...ited-1.2706625

[Marty_Mcfly]

2015 seems like a pretty optimistic date too, unless they're going to be continually working from now up until fall 2015.

[rthomasd]

Does Gov't work with a different calendar system from the rest of us?

Last year, Gov't tendered 3 over/under passes and these are still under construction, likely finished by the end of the 2014 construction season. They were supposed to tender another 3 under/over passes this year (2 at Topsail Rd, and one at Blackmarsh) and these still aren't released. So, these won't get done till the end of the 2015 season. Will Gov't start paving while they are still doing the unde/rover passes? They haven't in the past.

Nobody is talking about the section of the road from Topsail Rd to the link with the Harbour Arterial, the roadbed stops before it reaches Brookfield Rd. How can the project be completed in 2015 given these dangling ends.

The minister blames the delay on weather and DFO but I think it's more of a go-slow by Gov't.

[rthomasd]

I've had an update from Pennecon on the two over/under passes they are doing at Old Pennywell and the Collector Road. They are behind schedule and expect to pour decking at the end of August and end of September.

If I remember correctly, Newfound are doing the big over/underpass at Redmond's Road and they started pouring in May, and are still at it. So, if that holds for these other two, likely end of 2014 to see these over/underpasses finished, so more than a year to do an over/under pass.

How are they going to do Blackmarsh and Topsail Roads? The three now being worked on started with a centre pier, then the two abutments, then scaffolds to lay the deck. They can't use scaffolding across Topsail Road so will they use pre-cast piers instead of cast-in-place. What don't they use pre-cast piers all the time, gotta be faster than the labour-intense cast-in-place system?

[Horsell]

Originally Posted by rthomasd

..... Why don't they use pre-cast piers all the time, gotta be faster than the labour-intense cast-in-place system?

I wondered the same thing myself. They assembled the 351 Water parking garage in about 6 months or less but like you said it takes a year to do a simple overpass. I'm sure there must be a good technical reason but I'm not convinced.

[jjavman]

Originally Posted by rthomasd

They can't use scaffolding across Topsail Road so will they use pre-cast piers instead of cast-in-place.

Why can't they use scaffolding? Did they not do that on Kenmount Road? Just Block 2 lanes out of 4 at a time.

I am also curious however, why the pre-cast beams aren't used more like on the Donavans Overpass?

[rthomasd]

It's been so long since they did the Kenmount Rd overpass that I've forgotten how they built it, I do remember the year-long traffic delays it caused. Was that pre-cast sections, vs the cast-in-place method that seems to be the favourite these days?

They ( Newfound Construction ) are now removing the scaffolding for the over/under pass at Redmonds Rd - almost a full year for that one. Still no sign of tenders for the Topsail Rd and Blackmarsh Road work.

The work at Old Pennywell and Collector Rd is progressing, looks like they might start pouring concrete on one over/under pass in the next few months. At this rate, they'll be removing that scaffolding next spring.

Does anyone remember the construction of the Harbour Arterial? I believe Lundrigans did the bridge work and used pre-cast sections, are there any pictures available?

[rthomasd]

Finally, Govt has issued a tender for some work on the Team Gushue Highway Extension.

"Construction of temporary bypass at Blackmarsh Road for future overpass on the Team Gushue Highway including storm sewer modifications, St. John�s, NL PURCHASE PRICE: $45.20 CLOSING DATE: September 30th, 2014 @ 12:00 NOON"

Still no sign of tender for the over/underpasses at Blackmarsh and two at Topsail Rd.

[J_Murphy]

Originally Posted by rthomasd

Finally, Govt has issued a tender for some work on the Team Gushue Highway Extension.

"Construction of temporary bypass at Blackmarsh Road for future overpass on the Team Gushue Highway including storm sewer modifications, St. John�s, NL PURCHASE PRICE: $45.20 CLOSING DATE: September 30th, 2014 @ 12:00 NOON"

Still no sign of tender for the over/underpasses at Blackmarsh and two at Topsail Rd.

So this is just for the temporary bypass and not the overpass itself. It is certainly going in baby steps...

[delesseps]

Originally Posted by J_Murphy

So this is just for the temporary bypass and not the overpass itself. It is certainly going in baby steps...

There was some work being done with earthmoving equipment next to Mount Pearl Square this morning, where the exit to Topsail Road will be. I couldn't distinguish anything road-specific. My best guess is that they were digging trenches for sub-surface utilities like storm sewers.

[rthomasd]

Originally Posted by delesseps

There was some work being done with earthmoving equipment next to Mount Pearl Square this morning, where the exit to Topsail Road will be. I couldn't distinguish anything road-specific. My best guess is that they were digging trenches for sub-surface utilities like storm sewers.

There's been work in that area for awhile. There's a stream running along the west side of the TG that runs all through Cowan Heights from George's pond. The streams goes under Topsail Rd above the Mt Pearl Square and joins another river at Dunns Road. This stream had to be protected for part of the TG roadbed and I believe this is what the Minister referred as delay caused by DFO. That work along with a recent tender for a new water main for that area is the work we're seeing, I believe. There certainly seems to be also some ramp work evident with that construction.

[jeddy1989]

Here are some drive by shots of work happening at the airport



Holiday Inn Express







Airport terminal expansion










Random clearing for unknown (to me) projects

[ThisIsJustePourDire]

I'm not sure if I shared this but while I was looking at the new website (still not published) they had posted a map of the developments around the airport in the next few years.

Enjoy!



NOTE - The Holiday Inn express is proposed for the RIGHT side of the road, where the sign is, not the left. I'm guessing the left would be for the car rental facilities!

[Arrakis]

Pretty sure though that the completed foundation on the left as you turn into the airport from Portugal Cove Road is the new Holiday Inn Express. Kinda large to be a car rental building I think.

[ThisIsJustePourDire]

Originally Posted by Arrakis

Pretty sure though that the completed foundation on the left as you turn into the airport from Portugal Cove Road is the new Holiday Inn Express. Kinda large to be a car rental building I think.

I was just there only a couple of hours ago, picking up a relative. There is two foundations, each about the size of a small building. Pretty sure the building is too the right.

[rthomasd]

The over/under pass at Redmond's Rd looks like it's nearing completion. Here's a picture of Sept 29, 2013 and today 12 months later. Anyone know if it really takes more than a year to do this amount of work?

2013


2014

[J_Murphy]

Originally Posted by rthomasd

The over/under pass at Redmond's Rd looks like it's nearing completion. Here's a picture of Sept 29, 2013 and today 12 months later. Anyone know if it really takes more than a year to do this amount of work?

No, it shouldn't take that long.

[jeddy1989]

Government Reconsiders Night Construction to Ease Traffic

The provincial government has changed its mind and is now going to take a look at Nighttime construction on our highways.

The severity of recent traffic gridlock in metro has caught even transportation officials by surprise, and today Minister David Brazil is saying that he will be consulting industry to see what can be done to ease congestion.

Traffic out of Conception Bay South and Paradise is incredibly slow, mainly because of repairs to the bridge area at the Pitts Memorial-Manuels Access overpass. As an example this morning, traffic on Topsail Road is backed up from Paradise to the United Church in Topsail and just inching along.

Minister David Brazil told VOCM News this morning that one thing he is considering is having some of the work done at night.

http://www.vocm.com/newsarticle.asp?mn=2&id=49835


Regional Transportation Board Would Ease Traffic: O'Keefe

The Mayor of St. John's has weighed in on all the traffic congestion that has many motorists in the metro area frustrated. Mayor Dennis O'Keefe says what's happening now is proof that there is a need for a regional transportation board to regulate traffic in the metro region.

O'Keefe says that back in 1993, 30 per cent of the population lived in the metro area. He says by 2013, that number jumped to 39.6 per cent and if something is not done to correct the problem, it will be unmanageable by 2033.



O'Keefe says he has tried to get metro area mayors on side with the idea of a board, but a meeting he hosted over a year ago didn't go anywhere.

http://www.vocm.com/newsarticle.asp?mn=2&id=49820