Given that the 2 office blocks adjacent to Snow Hill are complete and the tram 'mall' between them and the station appears to be available thought there might now be some sign of preparatory work in that area for the realignment of the track from Snow Hill onto the 'mall' and beyond. So far no sign of any work. Any one know when any actual work on ballasting and track laying is due to start?
I reckon the next fortnight will see some major changes... with all the trams laid off to the 15th of april apparently.
That's only to modify the existing stations for the new trams AIUI.
Something I've found curious, they've closed corporation st and bull st etc in the city centre, and in some places have dug up the road and relaid it, and yet still no tram lines, so they're gonna have to dig it all up again to do it later. Seems a massive waste of time and money to me
All of the digging up that has been done in the city centre so far is the moving of utility pipes. This had to be done first ready for when work starts on laying down track.
There is still about two years before the extension opens, plenty of time.
Quote from: Gareth on March 28, 2013, 11:39:48 AM
All of the digging up that has been done in the city centre so far is the moving of utility pipes. This had to be done first ready for when work starts on laying down track.
There is still about two years before the extension opens, plenty of time.
I can see what Kevin means tho it does seem silly when you could have moved the utilities and then laid the track and re macced it putting rubber plugs between the mac and rails.
Understood Gareth but at Snow Hill and the tram 'mall' no apparent utilities work taking place so why not get on with it? Why delay work?
In Rochdale they appear to be moving the utilities and laying the track between the railway and bus stations in one go.
Quote from: mikestone on March 28, 2013, 07:08:04 PM
In Rochdale they appear to be moving the utilities and laying the track between the railway and bus stations in one go.
That's because, in manchester, they actually seem to have their act together and really going for it with the trams
Inevitable that the role of the West Midlands ITA would come up at some stage and yes like others, rightly or wrongly, I wonder why the ITA always appears to have difficulty in making progress with 'tram' related matters.
FYI - http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1502849&page=46
Just back from 3 weeks holiday and surprise, surprise still 'not a rail in sight'! Given that according to the project timeline some 'extension' work was scheduled to commence in May, which now looks unlikely, how long before there are 'whispers' about the completion date being put back?
Any thoughts?
I went on a tram to Oldham last week,rails being laid thru the town last tram back into manchester on fridays/saturdays 01:54!!extensions and new lines being built,and what have we got to look forward to snow hill to new street how exciting?
Quote from: Gareth on March 28, 2013, 11:39:48 AM
All of the digging up that has been done in the city centre so far is the moving of utility pipes. This had to be done first ready for when work starts on laying down track.
There is still about two years before the extension opens, plenty of time.
Spot on.
Also, the plant and expertise, techniques and so on for moving utilities are entirely different from those required for laying street-running track.
The actual detail design installation drawings for the street running section probably won't be ready yet, because they don't need to be. The track systems, components etc will all be on long delivery lead times, so they aren't available anyway. Likewise, why would you install the track now anyway just to incur two years damage before it's in use? Not to mention why would you spend money on materials earlier than you need to, that would inflate the cost of the job.
Quote from: The Real 4778 on May 21, 2013, 06:53:21 PM
Not to mention why would you spend money on materials earlier than you need to, that would inflate the cost of the job.
But would it also inflate the cost of the job to have to dig up the road twice?
Quote from: Kevin on May 21, 2013, 07:23:53 PM
Quote from: The Real 4778 on May 21, 2013, 06:53:21 PM
Not to mention why would you spend money on materials earlier than you need to, that would inflate the cost of the job.
But would it also inflate the cost of the job to have to dig up the road twice?
It's treated as a completely separate task. Moving utilities requires repeated excavations to a variety of depths, different angles and lengths of run. Putting the rails in is a much more standard process: linear, fairly regular depth and almost a seamless process.
Surely it will be necessary to resurface the route before track laying. The route is a mass of reinstatements of various quality following the ongoing utilities work. I assume a consistent road surface will be necessary to lay tack minus the inevitable dips and bumps?
Quote from: RW on May 22, 2013, 10:27:21 AM
Surely it will be necessary to resurface the route before track laying. The route is a mass of reinstatements of various quality following the ongoing utilities work. I assume a consistent road surface will be necessary to lay tack minus the inevitable dips and bumps?
That's what I was referring to really. The entire surface will be re-made including the track elements, as a separate enterprise from the utility relocations.
Having been involved with moving utilities on several occasions I can assure readers it is by no means a straightfoward task, with many unforeseen issues cropping up, for example things not as drawn, or being encountered when not even shown on the drawings provided.
Looking at one of the timescales involved for the Metro extension, a lot of the work won't even start until 2014 anyway, so there is still a way to go before we see any track work.
I'm led to believe its all running on time and as planned.
Taking far too long for a short extension, if this was Manchester or Rotterdam (not entirely sure why I picked those two examples) we'd have a reasonable network by now
Looking again at the publically available construction phases map the section from where the extension diverges from the existing line just beyond St Paul's to the beginning of Bull St and the curve at the junction of Bull St and Corporation St is still shown as work starting in April 2013. So now into a 3rd planned construction month and still apparently waiting on street works to be completed. Might help if some of the street works actually had personnel working on them. The new terminus in Stephenson street is the only section that seems to be making progress on the ground. Elsewhere it's materials and the odd, apparently 'abandoned', excavation. You heard it here first. Delayed completion date!
So there has at last been some activity even if it is only work on a rather innocuous boundary fence parallel to the existing tramway approach to Snow Hill. Now we have to wait and see what goes on inside the fence!
Balfour Beatty flag now flying at track level at Snow Hill and some 'inspection' activity on the Great Charles Street bridge today. Scaffolding also now erected providing access from the BB compound to track level. Things starting to happen!
Quote from: nx4737 on April 07, 2013, 12:02:15 AM
FYI - http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1502849&page=46
Excellent site for news and photos of work on the extension. Unfortunately someone used 'photo bucket', whatever that is, for the latest photos and all an ipad will show is a list of icons. No actual photos. Very disappointing/frustrating. Stick with flicker or similar.
Saw on BBC text earlier that the first of the new rails have been laid, anybody any idea where this was?
Quote from: Stuharris 6360 on November 05, 2013, 08:29:05 PM
Saw on BBC text earlier that the first of the new rails have been laid, anybody any idea where this was?
They are at the top of Upper Bull Street, behind the white fences
Quote from: RW on May 21, 2013, 02:03:49 PM
Just back from 3 weeks holiday and surprise, surprise still 'not a rail in sight'! Given that according to the project timeline some 'extension' work was scheduled to commence in May, which now looks unlikely, how long before there are 'whispers' about the completion date being put back?
Any thoughts?
".....,,completion date being put back?" Not just rumours any more. You heard it here first months ago. Was inevitable given the slow rate of progress at various stages and the frequent lack of personnel on site.
Quote from: RW on November 10, 2015, 09:18:45 AM
".....,,completion date being put back?" Not just rumours any more. You heard it here first months ago. Was inevitable given the slow rate of progress at various stages and the frequent lack of personnel on site.
Apparently they're blaming Grand Central works
If this kind of extension happened in Manchester, it would have been done ages ago!
So when is the extension opening, 2016, 17, 18?
Didn't realise the work at Grand Central had such an impact on the City Centre. Up Corporation St left into Bull St on to Colmore Gate and then between Snow Hill Stn and 1 & 2 Snow Hill through to St. Paul's. I don't think so. Is that the best Centro can come up with?
Bull Street stop opens 6th December I believe. I think they've all done really well with the works 😃
They are scared in case a someone gets floored by a tram.
Quote from: RW on June 03, 2013, 01:12:55 PM
Looking again at the publically available construction phases map the section from where the extension diverges from the existing line just beyond St Paul's to the beginning of Bull St and the curve at the junction of Bull St and Corporation St is still shown as work starting in April 2013. So now into a 3rd planned construction month and still apparently waiting on street works to be completed. Might help if some of the street works actually had personnel working on them. The new terminus in Stephenson street is the only section that seems to be making progress on the ground. Elsewhere it's materials and the odd, apparently 'abandoned', excavation. You heard it here first. Delayed completion date!
3 years on. How right was I? It was pretty clear back then that there was little chance of the extension being completed on time. Hopefully Centro and it's successor have learnt a few lessons that will keep the Centenary Square extension on schedule once actual construction starts.
Quote from: RW on May 20, 2016, 10:30:11 PM
3 years on. How right was I? It was pretty clear back then that there was little chance of the extension being completed on time. Hopefully Centro and it's successor have learnt a few lessons that will keep the Centenary Square extension on schedule once actual construction starts.
regards Broad St ext: As the Frankfurt Market starts mid November 2016 they will stop work because of of safety concerns then wait to winter 2017 to restart then same will happen come christmas 2017 till they open late 2019.