There is no doubt here in Ottawa that,Ai??the Rideau Transit GroupAi??will need all of the next 2 years 10 months toAi??complete the daunting list of major capital projects that will be must beAi??done so that, the first phase of the Confederation LRT Line opens on time, in September of 2018. It also goes to show that even here in Canada, when you build LRT on the surface and the project doesn’t needAi??a huge number of major capital projects, all built at a veryAi??high cost, construction of surface LRT linesAi??really doesn’tAi??take that long.

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The firstAi??5 km section of Ottawa’s Transitway, (the marketing name for our BRT Busway system) between Hurdman and Blair Stations closed officially, Sunday June 28, 2015 for conversion to LRT. That means the day before that, SaturdayAi??June 27 2015, there was a major operating busway there.Ai??On Monday June 29 2015, the conversion to LRT started.Ai??CompareAi??these two pictures the first, from Google EarthAi??taken roughly May 7, 2015. The second picture taken November 9, 2015, just 4 months 11 days after construction began.Ai??Both picturesAi??are located just west of Blair Station, looking west.Ai??Now, the tracks aren’t finished yet and there are still duct banks, catenary polls and theAi??catenary itselfAi??to still install butAi??it won’t beAi??long until this small section is finished.

Zwei, the first picture is from Google Earth shot in May 2015 before conversion began when it was still an operating Transitway. The second picture was taken in the same area at track level by staff of the Ottawa LRT Office,Ai??November 9, 2015.

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