June 25, 2007

Innovation

Building around planes, trains, ferries and automobiles can be a logistical nightmare

KING LEE

correspondent

David Powley, owner of Power Steel, said the job of building a pedestrian walkway over railway tracks in Whistler, home of the 2010 Winter Olympics, ranked in the top three in degree of difficulty, up there with building toll booths at BC Ferries’ Tsawwassen terminal and the Pier “C” domestic terminal at Vancouver International Airport.

Power Steel won the $450,000 contract to ship a 60-ton steel bridge from the Greater Vancouver area to Whistler and to erect the walkway while CN Rail trains came around a bend twice a day.

Power Steel & Erectors Inc.

The walkway was transported 120 kilometers in three sections. Two cranes had to be used for the two-day hoist over the railway tracks.

The up-scale Nita Lake Lodge, initially scheduled to open last year and now set to begin operation in late August, built a railroad station near its 75-suite, 14-condo facility and called for tenders to build a walkway to connect the station with a nearby hiking trail.

Powley said the two-a-day train interruption was handled with cooperation from CN Rail, which assigned employee Chub Lovie to coordinate with Power Steel crews and supplied two flag persons.

Power Steel & Erectors Inc.

Building a pedestrian walkway over railway tracks in Whistler ranked in the top three in degree of difficulty

The walkway was transported 120 kilometers (75 miles) in three sections by Ludman’s Trucking and crews had to move road dividers at Lion’s Bay to accommodate the wide loads. For the tricky section over the railway tracks, Powley said two Eagle West cranes had to be used for the two-day hoist.

He said the other two challenging jobs had different sets of problems. At Tsawwassen, Powley had to deal with rusting screens required by BC Ferries while at YVR (Vancouver International Airport), terminal access and asbestos were the headaches.

Print | Email | Comment