With utility work in the track area and track installation nearing completion, barriers along the Sydney CBD and South East light rail line will begin to be removed or reduced over the coming months, ALTRAC Light Rail (ALTRAC), the consortium designing, building, operating and maintaining the CBD and South East Light Rail, has confirmed.
ALTRAC CEO Glenn Bentley said work will soon increasingly shift towards systems installations.
“The construction team has laid track in 29 of the 31 zones and with around four kilometres left to be laid across the route, track installation will be complete in September,” Bently said.
“We will have civil construction substantially completed by the end of 2018.”
Barrier removal and reduction will reportedly be complete in CBD and Surry Hills zones by November, in Moore Park and Randwick zones December and Randwick and Kensington/Kingsford zones by December, and in Randwick and Kensington/Kingsford zones in early 2019.
“Where possible, zones may be opened sooner than these dates. There will still be localised barriers around stops and while paving and cabling work is undertaken,” Bently said.
As civil construction works wind down, systems, signalling, cabling and stop fit out works will start in each zone. Following these, the line will be energised for the continued testing and commissioning of the system and the light rail vehicles.
“We are making good progress with seven light rail stops already under construction in the city’s north, Randwick and Moore Park,” Bently said.
“Light rail testing is underway and will continue as each of the 60 light rail vehicles arrive.”
Intersection work is underway again on Hunter and Margaret Streets, Park and Druitt Streets, and Goulburn Street in the CBD. Double track installation is continuing on George Street between Margaret/Hunter Streets and King Street, George Street between Hay Street and Rawson Place, Eddy Avenue between Pitt Street and Elizabeth and Chalmers Streets, and Circular Quay along Alfred Street to George Street.
Excavation works have begun for the Queen Victoria Building and Wynyard light rail stops. work on the other CBD light rail stops will begin in the coming months.
The Circular Quay and Haymarket substations are also under construction, with trenching work being carried out and a high voltage cable being installed along Barlow Street and Parker Street.
At zone 14, near Central Station, work has begun on the Central Chalmers Street light rail stop. Elizabeth Street and Devonshire Street intersection work is progressing and some of the last remaining utilities works here will be completed by November.
Rail installation along Devonshire Street between Riley and Crown Streets is also nearing completion, while construction will begin this month on the Surry Hills light rail stop.
Construction is now complete on the base of the Kensington light rail stop on Anzac Parade between Todman Avenue and High Street, while work on the eastern and western side of the UNSW bus layover will allow crews to start on the UNSW Anzac Parade light rail stop outside NIDA.
Ground preparation works for UNSW High Street light rail stop in zone 25 and Randwick light rail stop in zone 26 are also nearing completion.