The newly enhanced dewatering system was approved and fired up while I was away. It is fully functional and work on the project has resumed with amazing progress in a short time. I will report more on the dewatering system in a day or two.

In the photo below, you can see that construction of the bus terminal structure is underway. At a pace of 300 cubic yards per day, a six-inch thick mud slab is being poured. It provides a solid surface upon which the Kiewit crew can work. A water-proof membrane will be installed over the mud slab, and a three- to four-foot thick  concrete foundation (aka floor of the bus terminal) will be poured on top of the membrane. The thickness of the floor varies depending on the location. The membrane will prevent the need to pump ground water after the project is complete.

Also notice in the photo the foundations for two escalators and one elevator. As I previously mentioned, the other three holes (the ones with upright sheet pile) are for under-floor utilities. The crane has taken its place on the stone track on the left side of the hole, as seen at the top of the photo. Since I took this photo yesterday, workers have started installing concrete forms along the right side of the mud slab. The forms appear to be about four feet high and will be the outer edges of the bus terminal floor.

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Here’s a closer, but still too distant, shot of work on the mud slab. Notice the machine at the bottom center of the photo. It uses the same GPS technology that the bulldozer used to ensure exact elevations.

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Work continues on the light rail tracks and station. In the upper right corner of the photo below, you can see an additional foundation that was poured since my last update.

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There is no observable progress from the outside of the temporary Amtrak terminal other than the new traffic light that is being installed (see below) at the corner of 21st and Wewatta streets. It will enable Amtrak passengers to stop traffic as they walk from the terminal to the temporary loading platform across Wewatta Street. Inside the terminal, DRG Construction workers are installing drywall and utilities.

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Thank you to Hunter Sydnor and Joy Wasendorf of Kiewit for providing most of the information in today’s update.

Finally, there have been reports of a sly worker showing up after nearly everyone else has left the job site at the end of the day. Last evening, I finally got a photo of him or her as you can see to the right of and below the cone in this photo. He or she has a very close resemblance to a fox. (Sorry about the resolution that was lost in the cropping process.) It’s good to know that there is a sharp eye on the project after the workday.

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One more thing: I uploaded 16 more photos this week to our Denver Union Station page at JobSiteVistor.com.