I’m interrupting my planned sequence of blogs to bring you some breaking news.
Late yesterday afternoon, I noticed a new, shallow trench being dug from the Millennium Bridge along the CML tracks. During my routine photo-tour around the project today, I bumped into one of Kiewit’s employees. Just like all the others I’ve talked with, he was very friendly and eager to answer my questions. The trench turns out to be the start of the light rail station and train platform. It appears that they finished the digging work a few minutes ago. Soon, they will start the shoring wall for the LRT platform. The trench is along the left side of this photo that I took from the Millennium Bridge at about 1:00 today.
Another new phase of the project is the removal of the granite sidewalk along 16th Street between the Millennium Bridge and Wewatta Street. Notice the granite slabs stacked on pallets on the left side of the photo. I’ll talk more about this process in a subsequent blog.
I walk by this construction site everyday. They are very busy on the site.
Rick,
Thanks for the updates. As a neighborhood resident, I’m excited to watch this project progress.
Very cool, thanks for the updates
I never saw any information about why all the stations are so far apart in this. I thought originally that FasTracks had advertised (during the run-up to the vote in 2004, which I worked hard in telephoning registered voters) that all the lines would be built at different levels at and below ground at Union Station, but basically vertically above and below. I’m sure someone will explain why people will now have to walk so far (in the snow, rain and cold) to transfer between lines. Very inefficient, eh?
Joe, the underground bus box connects the trains so needing to walk in the weather isn’t an issue. Also, the mall shuttle will connect the light rail and the commuter rail. In addition, the less-than-two-block walk should be considered a non-issue. In regional hubs like this, such as Grand Central or Penn Station in New York City, the modes are often as far apart (in some cases even further.) Having successfully navigated these stations, I can tell you that the less than two minute walk between the two (shorter on the shuttle) is basically a non-issue, and with smart scheduling should be no problem at all.
My understanding is that the Light Rail station along the CML and the Heavy Rail station in the Union Station Train Yard could not be near each other for 2 reasons: 1) they could not be at the same grade because Federal regulations did not allow Union Station to be a through-way in that configuration, and 2) they could not be on different grades (e.g. submerging the Light-Rail station) because that would have been too expensive, what with all the budget shortfalls already encountered. This new configuration is somewhat of a compromise.
I personally prefer this new layout, having them be a scant few blocks apart, because it will lead to a heavy amount of pedestrian traffic in this new district.
Joe: in addition to Phil’s comments, the other reason for the change in the station area design was cost. While the original 2004 plan for Union Station was appealing, it also had a huge price tag: over $1 billion. The current plan gets the job done at about $500 million, and even then it’s taken the project team three years to figure out how to pay for it. The FasTracks budget allotted only about $200 million for Union Station.
I am the Kiewit Public Information Officer on the Denver Union Station project. I like the way you are helping me tell people about the construction activities.
Please contact me if you need information about any of the construction activities.
Thanx
Hunter
Many thanks to you, Phil, Alex and Ken! Good explanations all. Ken, I LOVE LOVE LOVE this website. Having moved to Vancouver, BC after 20 yrs in Denver (but still keeping and renting my little house in central Denver to my friend), I will always say proudly Denver’s my home, and I look forward to reading (and seeing in person at least once a year) about all the good that is happening there with respect to everything your website talks about. Best wishes.
Excellent, Joe. I’ll be in Vancouver later this year as part of the Downtown Denver Partnership’s annual Urban Exploration program. I’m looking forward to it. Vancouver is certainly a great urban model.
Thanks so much for this information and the great job you all do on this blog!