Railway Track & Structures - November 2007 - (Page 26)

As part of the retrofit, Sound Transit contractors ripped out the old roadbed (and embedded rebar) and lowered it 18 inches to accommodate modern light rail trains. issues to clear up and that included going ahead with some of the systems work and getting some of our contractors who didn’t need the concrete in place before they could come in and start doing their work,” said Gray. “It was a four-month strike and considering that we poured about 20,000 yards of new concrete, it’s truly a testament to the job our contractors did to get this job open on time.” In addition to the concrete issues, Gray pointed out that a lot of the tunnel’s components were not in the shape crews expected. “We ran into ‘as built’ not being as built,” said Gray. “Over 17 years, there were a lot of little fixes done here and there, rerouting of conduit and systems work. When we brought our systems folks in, we found the ‘as builts’ hadn’t been kept up to date. It was a constant step back to take a look at where we are and where we need to be versus where we expected to be and where we expected to do our work.” A future challenge the tunnel will face will be in its maintenance. Once light rail service begins, the tunnel will be in operation 20 hours a day, seven days a week. Gray notes that anytime there is an interruption in the station, service is pinched. Sound Transit took steps to reduce maintenance time in the station, such as installing high-efficiency lamps. “The lighting is a big deal,” said Gray. “When you’re talking about a three-mile tube underground, lighting becomes very important.” More transit work to come On November 6, Seattle-area residents were scheduled to vote on a proposal that, if adopted, would build 50 additional miles of light rail and increase access to commuter rail and express bus services. The Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel would be a major component in the expansion, as it would serve as the meeting point of many different lines. “[The tunnel opening] marks another major milestone in the evolution of Seattle’s center city,” said Downtown Seattle Association Board Chair John Hanley. “Downtown Seattle is the economic engine and heart of the region, and now with growing transit options, it’s becoming more accessible to everyone.” 26 Railway Track & Structures November 2007 www.rtands.com http://www.rtands.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Railway Track & Structures - November 2007

Railway Track & Structures - November 2007 Contents On Track Industry Today Supplier News AREMA News NRC News TTCI R&D Seattle Retrofits Downtown Transit Tunnel Switch Stand, Switch Machines Planning M/W with Modern, High-Tech Tools Products & Literature People Calendar Advertisers Index Sales Representatives Website Directory Professional Directory Classified Advertising Chicago Perspective

Railway Track & Structures - November 2007

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