I recently returned from an eight-day family visit in Florida and was surprised to see so much Union Station progress. It seems that they can get stuff done without me.
First, almost all of the framework for the light rail passenger platform has been installed. Below is an updated photo. Less obvious in the photo than the framework is the new foundation work for the mall shuttle platform. You can see five square foundations in a line slightly to the right of the center of the photo. They appear to be identical to the light rail foundations. Notice that the two station platforms will not be parallel to each other. The light rail platform is parallel to the CML (freight tracks), and the mall shuttle platform conforms to the downtown street grid.
Second, there are several points of interest in the photo below. The walls of the bus terminal appear to be at least 75% complete; the plenum wall is about 30% done; and some of the columns inside the bus terminal to the left of the photo-center are now concrete instead of rebar. You have to wonder when they will place the first roof girder. Should we have a contest to pick the date?
I noticed that a stack of rails has been staged at the project site. Here’s a shot of them from a distance. As I reported previously in Update #34, they will be welded end-to-end on site before they are installed. Hmmm. Another contest opportunity to guess the date of the first rail installation.
Starting this Saturday, October 16, you can participate in expert tours of the project. Union Station Advocates will conduct the one-hour tours. Simply show up a few minutes before 10:00 AM at the light rail arch on the Wynkoop side of Union Station and pay your 10 bucks. First come, first served. After October 16, tours will be biweekly. See you there!
Please see our Denver Union Station page at JobSiteVistor.com for more photos.
Starting from a big ole hole in the ground… now with walls and columns, it don’t look so big. Did the dimensions change?
Tell the family we said “HI.” Still love the updates.
TakeFive, thanks. You are right about the size difference. The hole is, of course, far larger than the bus terminal. For one thing, there is a wide “roadway” for the crane in the hole but outside of the terminal box. Speaking of the crane, it moved onto the bus terminal floor this afternoon.
I’m sure you saw it, but there’s been a fair bit of activity behind DUS as well. All last week, workers were removing the roofs from the second train platform (the one w/o the tracks) and plasma cutting the posts down. I haven’t counted, but it looks like they’ve taken down 20 or so thus far.
Additionally, they’ve been unloading and welding train rails on the Northern side of the area, presumably for the new Amtrak platform.
Thanks for all the pictures/updates – it’s been awesome.
Adam, good points! You are keeping me on my toes. I will provide photographs and details of the welding process and the removal of the existing Amtrak canopies in my next blog. I’ll also wander over to the temporary Amtrak terminal to see if they are reinstalling any of the canopies yet.
Road the train in from Granby this weekend, certainly arrived with no small bit of nostalgia! Not to mention awe at the rate of progress.
Such a great train ride too, it is like landing in Denver, but with a 45-minute night view of the city and a smooth lull rather than a dull thump.
Thanks for the updates! And as for a guess for the first roof girders… December 8th!