Two upgrade projects are currently underway at the 22nd Street SkyTrain station – with some of the work being done during the day and some being done overnight.
New West city council recently granted TransLink with an exemption to the construction noise bylaw from March 1 to Nov. 30, excluding Sundays and statutory holidays. The exemption allows work to take place between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.
The Record checked in with TransLink to see what’s happening at the local station.
Thor Diakow, a senior media relations advisor, said the overall construction at 22nd Street station is part of TransLink’s SkyTrain Station Access and Safety Project (SASP).
“The purpose of the SASP is to ensure our existing SkyTrain stations can accommodate the new, five-car trains currently in production and ensure the continued safety of passengers and staff,” he said. “This work is essential to continue expanding and improving transit service in Metro Vancouver.”
Diakow said TransLink is currently working on two upgrade projects at the 22nd Street station – increasing the emergency egress capacity by adding a second staircase on the north side of the station, and modifying the walkways along the tracks used by SkyTrain attendants.
“Most of the staircase work will take place during the day and is expected to be completed early next year,” he said in an email to the Record. “The walkway upgrades are taking place overnight. While this construction time is expected to take about six weeks, the work blocks will be intermittent and spread out over several months.”
TransLink will soon be updating its website to include this information and other details about the project, Diakow said.
According to a report to council, staff recommended council support the exemption because: SkyTrain is a key transportation system linking riders from New West to multiple business centres; SkyTrain’s operational constraints require construction to occur during nighttime hours; and increased ridership demands larger trains requiring modified infrastructure.
“Neighbours have been notified there will be some construction noise,” Diakow said. “As with all of our infrastructure work, we are making every effort to minimize the impact of this project on our customers and neighbours.”
