February 17, 2010

2010 Winter Games

As Olympics gear up, construction slows slightly

RICHARD GILBERT

staff writer

Contractors at construction sites in Vancouver are changing their work schedules and street use plans in order to accommodate Olympic activities and traffic restrictions.

“A few sites are behind security and are difficult to work on due to street closures,” said Vancouver Regional Construction Association president Keith Sashaw.

“I haven’t heard a lot of complaints from our members, but from an industry perspective, it is a bit of an inconvenience for two weeks.”

As a result of all the Olympics activities and events in downtown Vancouver, work at construction sites has slowed down.

“We have had to reduce our workforce and have limited hours of work,” said Jeffry Lyth, director of health and safety with ITC Construction Group.

“Work is proceeding where possible, such as interior work.”

The city has tried to work out alternative schedules and arrangements for contractors, who want to continue building during the Olympics.

“Those of us who have been building downtown for a number of years, have been working very closely with the city,” said Lyth.

“The city did a lot of planning and committee work to figure out street use. We have worked with them on sidewalk and curb closures.

“The city made planning for the games quite easy because the street use permit process was modified.”

Construction companies are required by the City of Vancouver to obtain special permits.

“What we were really trying to do is minimize the impact of construction and provide a way for work to continue, despite all the Olympic activities and the increase in transportation demand,” said Neal Carley, who is the division head of streets in the City of Vancouver’s engineering services department.

“If we could accommodate street space or if it wasn’t necessary for the transportation network, we gave the lane for construction.”

Carley said there have been about 100 construction applications received for the Olympics, with about twenty of these in the downtown core.

“A lot of structural work is limited, due to the limited hours of operation,” said Lyth.

“In these cases, it is necessary to use the curb lane and a power crane for unloading.”

Given this fact, Lyth said they are changing their critical work paths so concrete or materials deliveries can take place in the morning.”

Construction sites are restricted to taking deliveries between 6 a.m. and 12 p.m.

In some cases alternative arrangements have been made to allow trucks delivering concrete and materials to come onto a construction site.

There are also restrictions about digging downtown, along major transportation routes and within 500 metres of Olympic venues.

Carley said digging will be allowed for minor work or if there is a need due to an emergency.

According to Sashaw, the construction industry really took a hit in 2009, so there is not a lot of activity right now in the downtown core.

He said some firms have shifted their focus outside downtown until the Olympics are over.

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