West Toronto Diamond Grade Separation

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Community Updates

Community Status Update -- March 5, 2010

The West Toronto Diamond is part of the Georgetown South Corridor, one of the most exciting transit projects in the GTA. It will enable a new link from Union Station to Pearson Airport, and will support expanded service to Kitchener-Waterloo, Brampton, and Mississauga.

Basically, we are building an underpass to separate two major rail corridors - right now we have the equivalent of two major highways meeting at a traffic light. This hurts our ability to provide reliable service for our customers.

We understand that this project has been noisy for some local residents, in particular, our use of impact hammers to put steel pipes in the ground (known as piling). In June 2009, we changed the way we were working in order to reduce the noise, implementing the use of impact hammers equipped with sound mitigation as well as bringing in quieter piling technology from France and Japan. As a result of these efforts the noise from our work was cut in half.

In early December, 2009 The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) asked for additional measures, including better information and monitoring of piling activity. In addition to the earlier measures we implemented in June, we also incorporated these additional requirements.

Today, we are in full compliance with the CTA's ruling.

Anticipated work plan to the end of May 2010

So far, we have put in 80% of the piles needed for the project, with fewer than 400 piles to be installed.

During the months of March and April, there are only about 80 piles being installed. The quiet press-in method will be used for majority of these piles (about 60). The remainder will be installed using a combination of quieter equipment including press-in methods and vibratory machines, in combination with the use of impact hammers equipped with sound mitigation to finish the installation.

The CTA ruling allows us to use the impact hammers in some circumstances. In instances where impact hammers are used – including completing the last 10 feet of a pile which is not possible with the press-in method or vibratory hammer – we will continue to use sound mitigation measures.

Once work on the outer walls is complete in early May, the track will be shifted in mid-May to allow the final 320 piles to be installed. Our plan for work beyond May is being developed and once finalized, that information will be provided. We will adhere to the CTA ruling on this work as well.

We apologize for the inconvenience this work has caused local residents. We have and will continue to provide support to the community. If you think this could help you, or if you have any questions, please contact Kathryn Hanford at 416-604-9582.

We would like to once again thank local residents who have been so understanding, have worked with us to develop quieter construction methods, and who like us, want this project completed as quickly as possible. With the CTA requirements, we hope to complete the piling using the quieter methods by the end of 2010.

For more information, please see our contact page.

Project Description

The West Toronto Diamond project will separate Canadian Pacific Railway's North Toronto freight line from GO's Weston Subdivision (Georgetown line). The north-south tracks to and from Georgetown will be lowered so that they run under CPR's North Toronto line.

Improvements

• More reliable GO service by eliminating the need to accommodate both freight and GO trains at this crossing point.
• Less pollution and noise for residents due to fewer trains stopping and idling in the neighbourhood, and commuter traffic running through the lowered corridor.
• Less noise and whistling from trains crossing the West Toronto Diamond.
• Increased train service for northwest Toronto and Peel Region.

Location: The Junction area in Toronto, where Old Weston Road cross the rail tracks.

Project Area Map

Legend
        G - Giken
        I - Impact Hammer
        V - PTC Vibro Hammer
        M - Moveable Sound Barrier
        (#) - Total piles driven each day

Project Schedule

	Mon Mar 8	Tues Mar 9	Wed Mar 10	Thurs Mar11	Fri Mar 12	Sat Mar 13	Sun Mar 14
Zone A						No activity	No activity
Zone B
Zone C	I V	I V	I V	I V	I V
Zone D	I V G	I V G	I V G	I V G	I V G

	Mon Mar 15	Tues Mar 16	Wed Mar 17	Thurs Mar18	Fri Mar 19	Sat Mar 20	Sun Mar 21
Zone A						No activity	No activity
Zone B
Zone C
Zone D	I V G	I V G	I V G	I V G	I V G

	Mon Mar 22	Tues Mar 23	Wed Mar 24	Thurs Mar25	Fri Mar 26	Sat Mar 27	Sun Mar 28
Zone A						No activity	No activity
Zone B
Zone C	I V	I V	I V	I V	I V
Zone D	I V G	I V G	I V G	I V G	I V G

*Shrouded impact hammers will be used to complete piles that cannot be completed using the other piling methods alone as permitted by the CTA order. In zones A, B, and C, when impact hammers are used, noise barriers will be in place. Zone D does not permit the use of noise barriers as space is restricted.

**Old Weston Road - Pedestrian Road Closure: UPDATE - Saturday, February 27, 2010, pedestrian access at Old Weston Road has been re-opened.

Archived Schedules

Project Schedule and Updates: Construction - Phase 2 (piling construction)

Total steel pipe piles driven to date: 1945 of 2338 (391remaining)

GO has implemented several noise mitigation measures to lessen the impact of the noise from this work on local residents and businesses. These measures include noise shrouds placed around the machinery and the installation of moveable sound barriers at the piling site. Since June 8, 2009, GO has voluntarily required that impact hammers, when used, must be equipped with a noise shroud. The CTA decision placed additional restrictions on the use of impact hammers effective December 22, 2009. Impact hammers have not been used at all between December 21 and January 4, 2010, and when work begins again on January 5, shrouded impact hammers will only be used for the limited use permitted by the CTA decision.

The noise mitigation measures have been very effective in reducing the noise disruption, but they have also resulted in a longer construction schedule for Phase 2 works. The pile installation phase was originally projected for completion in December 2009, with the mitigation GO started using in June 2009 and in accordance with the information previously distributed to the community, the piling contract would have been extended. It was anticipated last November that the piling would continue into the summer of 2010 due to the implementation of these mitigation measures. With the recent decision imposed by the CTA, piling will now be complete in late 2010. Following this phase of the project, excavation will occur and the overall project is now scheduled for completion in the fall of 2014.

Construction hours

The use of the vibratory hammer and impact hammers will be restricted to the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on weekdays only. Giken technology may operate between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on weekdays, and between 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on Saturdays.

After December 18th, 2009, the use of impact hammers has been limited and will be used only in conjunction with a PTC vibratory hammer or only in exceptional circumstances where no other method is possible.

The CTA decision affects only pile driving activities. Other construction work that does not include pile driving will generally occur between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on weekdays, and between 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on Saturdays. On occasion, weekend and/or overnight track work will be required.