OC Transpo LRT halted in east end after ‘area of concern’ discovered at St-Laurent Station

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Inspectors have found more problems with the tunnel at the aging St-Laurent LRT Station, halting service on the east end of the line, the city said in a memo Tuesday morning.

As part of an ongoing inspection, an “area of concern” was found on the south side of the tunnel. Inspection and repair work that began Tuesday morning meant the station had to close to all trains. Starting at about 9 a.m., Line 1 was only running between Tunney’s Pasture and Tremblay stations, with R1 replacement bus service running between Hurdman and Blair. Shuttle buses were also operating between St-Laurent and Cyrville stations.

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“Trains will not be able to operate safely on the opposite track while equipment and personnel are working in the area,” the memo by Renée Amilcar said.

Between Tunney’s Pasture and Tremblay, trains were running every five to six minutes.

The city expects a timeline for when service can resume to be shared before the afternoon rush hour.

“Once the contractor has assessed the area over the tracks, an update on any required work or mitigation measures as well as an estimated timeline for the resumption of full Line 1 service will be shared, in advance of the afternoon peak period,” Amilcar said.

It’s not the first time the St-Laurent station has caused problems for the line. Earlier this year, the station was closed for five days when heavy corrosion was discovered in the station’s hanging ceiling tiles and the structure that supported them. Concrete along parts of the ceiling needed to be reinforced with wire mesh to protect transit riders below. Water infiltration into the station’s concrete was blamed for the issue.

The tunnel was built in the 1980s for the bus Transitway and was repurposed for the LRT. Unlike the downtown stretch of tunnel which is operated and maintained by the private consortium Rideau Transit Group, the St-Laurent Station is maintained by the city.

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