Green Line / Central Corridor construction thread (archive)

[moda253]

The building behind overflow cafe (where the childcare place was) was torn down because there was some misunderstanding about parking. The occupants (overflow, Anytime Fitness, etc) thought there was going to be parking provided, but it never happened. So they tore the buildings down. Moved the child care next to overflow and now you see the parking lot in back. It has been partially paved. I go there almost everyday at lunch to workout. It's been interesting to watch it play out.

[MNdible]

The guideway area next to the bus transitway has been graded, but no rebar or concrete yet (except for foundations for catenary poles).

Are you sure that this section won't just be ties set in rock?

[FISHMANPET]

So no idea where to catch a west bound bus from campus, and the Metro Transit provided maps are wrong, and detour description is unhelpful. Anybody know where to catch one while the bridge is closed?

[mulad]

In Dinkytown, I think everything should go past McDonald's (though both directions of the 2 would be stopping there). Not sure about West Bank. I'll be going through it on the 16 momentarily, though.

[mulad]

There's a stop in front of the old Grandma's site on 19th, and the normal 3/16 stop on the northwest ramp at Cedar & Washington/CR-122 is also being used.

[LRV Op Dude]

by FISHMANPET » August 20th, 2012, 1:22 pm

So no idea where to catch a west bound bus from campus, and the Metro Transit provided maps are wrong, and detour description is unhelpful. Anybody know where to catch one while the bridge is closed?

http://metrotransit.org/detours-alerts.aspx?route=2

[FISHMANPET]

According to that the nearest stop is 12 & University, which I basically refuse to believe because that's completely ridiculous. Furthermore the Interactive Map that is updated daily is wrong.

My poor 2 has been tested quite a bit this past year and Metro Transit has not been very good about service alerts.

I'd also like someone to tell me why I as a rider should care about the difference between Rider Alerts and Service Alerts, especially when only one of them is available on the mobile website.

[twincitizen]

Assuming you're on the east bank,

Catch either direction of the Route 2 on Uni/4th St SE, between 10th Av SE & 15th Av SE (McDonalds).

All U of M routes (2/3/16/50) are using the 10th Av SE (19th Av S on the West Bank) Bridge to cross the river, so that should help inform you where to go. As you know, University and 4th are one-ways, so that helps to figure out which direction the bus is headed. Buses will make all posted stops along the detour route (unless the stop is explicitly closed).

If you have comments/complaints about Rider Alerts (and the disconnect between what you see on the website and at the stop), I strongly urge you to use their official channels. You will almost certainly get a response (and possibly clear things up for other customers too!)

[LRV Op Dude]

Bridge Closure Causes Headaches at U of M Campus

[twincitizen]

This is what drivers see on the MDT (mobile data terminal):

Rt: 2 #10876 Start: 8/20/12 @ 1201a End: 8/27/12 @ 600a
EB: Reg Cedar to 3STS, R-3STS, L-19AVS, across river on 10AVSE Bridge, R-UNI, L-15AVSE & Reg.
WB: Reg UNI to 15AVSE / Pleasant, L- 15AVSE / Pleasant, L-4STSE, L- 10AVSE, R- Washington, L- Cedar to 3STS & Reg.
Stops on Det: On 19AVS f/s of 3STS, On 19AVS @ 2STS, On UNI @ 12AVSE, 4ST @ 15AVSE (Front of McDonalds) Rt 2
DOES NOT STOP on UNI @ 15AVSE / Pleasant due to the Left turn.
It is recommended that the shared bus stop for all Rts: 2, 3, 16 & 50 is on UNI @ 12AVSE. This will minimize / eliminate any missed connections.

Basically, a plain English version of that information is then forwarded to the PR/communications department to publish on the website. Sometimes things get lost in translation.

[mulad]

I wandered over to the Washington Avenue Bridge to check out the rail installation -- I couldn't see much, since it appears they only added rails to the bridge span itself and not to the approaches at all. The approaches widen pretty quickly, so I suppose it wasn't really necessary to add tracks there during this past week's big closure -- there might be enough room to do it with traffic flowing, but I suspect some weekend closures may be needed.

[mulad]

The CCLRT folks tweeted that they've received the first traction power substation (TPSS), which would provide 750V DC power to the catenary. There will be 14 along the line.

https://twitter.com/CCLRT/status/241301 ... 85/photo/1

[UptownSport]

My brother was the crane operator!!! Just told me about it a few hours ago!

[Tcmetro]

I took a little bus tour of University the other night. Work is progressing fast, road work will definitely be completed by year's end, in addition to most or all of the trackwork.

- Tracks have been installed from Snelling to Victoria. The medians and edges have not been poured though; only the concrete around the tracks. Track is continuous from Emerald to Victoria, however, work is not complete at the Lexington intersection, and the east crossover at Pascal hasn't been installed yet. Tracks have also been installed through the Western intersection.

- The north roadway should be completed from Chatsworth to Mackubin soon, sidewalks soon after. Currently the roadway is fully open from Emerald to Chatsworth. Curb pouring and and asphalt paving should be underway soon from Mackubin to Marion. The roadway is also open from Marion to Rice.

- Landscaping, fencing, and light poles are more or less complete from Berry to Snelling.

- Fairview, Snelling, Hamline, and Lexington stations do not have signage installed yet; Victoria and Western do not have windows and signage; Dale, Prospect Park, and Stadium Village do not have canopies or walls yet. West Bank is near completion; Westgate, Raymond, Robert, and Union Depot are basically complete. I'm not really sure what is going on at East Bank, Rice St, 10th St, or 4th St.

- Not really sure what is going on from Rice to Robert, or on Cedar St. I did see that the new bridge over I-94 is almost ready for a concrete pour.

- In Minneapolis, it appears that the south roadway from 29th to Emerald will begin curb pouring soon. Curbs have already been poured at Malcolm.

- Not too sure about what is happening on Washington Ave or along the U of M Transitway. The Huron/Washington/University intersection should be complete soon, and tracks have been installed.

--

At this rate it seems like roads and tracks have a good chance of being completed by the end of the year. Finishing stations, landscaping, fencing, and light poles are likely to run into next year. After that, it seems like substations and catenary are the remaining items before testing can begin.

[NickP]

Could someone update the map of CCLRT progress? I would be forever grateful. Be well everyone

[Tcmetro]

I was going to when I get some time

[NickP]

Awesome mate! Cheers.

[Tcmetro]

Here is the updated map

[UptownSport]

Went by central/Hiawatha switch recently, there were rails there but not cemented in. (Obviously there wouldn't be power, etc.)

There's also machinery sitting on flyover- I'd guess rail grinders that haven't moved or moved much-
What are these machines? Have they actually just been sitting for months?

Any chance they'll open to East bank early? I understand the number of buses just those two stops would displace is awesome

[mulad]

The junction has been put together piece by piece. The equipment hasn't just been sitting there, but it hasn't been moving at a lightning pace either. I think there are about 12 switches that have been added in the area, including one double-crossover (4 switches plus a crossing in an "X" pattern) and three or four single-crossovers (2 switches for going between parallel tracks). It's a fairly complex little stretch -- I don't understand why it's taken all summer either, but they have to keep the track power and signals working on the existing line, for instance, plus new power had to be added for the switches. Some new catenary has been installed in the area, though only for a couple of crossovers added between the existing Blue Line tracks, like this one:


Image link

(That answered a question I'd always had -- the catenary lines are copper, but they get that dark green patina over them so it's hard to tell what they're made of.)

In this area, the tracks are just getting ballasted with gravel, like most of the Blue Line -- the tracks won't be embedded in concrete there. This is the only main section of the Green Line to be set on ballast, as far as I can tell, from the junction here down to the grade crossing of eastbound CR-122 (though there will probably be some ballasted tracks at the Lowertown maintenance base).

When I went by over the weekend, it seemed to me that the area was basically done except that the very last segment of track to go in hadn't been properly ballasted yet, so the track was a bit warped.