By rosebell
As a major infrastructure project designed to replace an ageing water main built in the 1930s in Canada, the Stanley Park water supply tunnel’s construction has been set to start at mid-November by Metro Vancouver.
With the aim of helping maintain the district’s capacity to deliver reliable, high-quality drinking water to nearly 2.8 million residents, the new 1.4km-long tunnel is due to be built deep beneath Stanley Park.
In order to controling water flow through the mains in the area, this tunnel will feature two new valve chambers, whereas three vertical shafts are going to be excavated at key locations in Stanley Park to facilitate the tunnel’s construction, enable installation of the water main, and build the valve chambers. The location of one of the shafts will be near Burrard Inlet, another in a central service yard within the park, and a third at Chilco Street.
Considering that for minimising impact on the park was important, each of the shaft’s location and the tunnel’s alignment were selected after comprehensive geotechnical, environmental, archaeological, technological, and traffic studies.
The plan of initial six months of construction, will be fencing and clearing the main sites with site offices established and at the central shaft site, an abandoned building will be demolished, and the yard entrance will be relocated.
While temporary pedestrian and cyclist paths are slated to be introduced to maintain access for park users at the Chilco site,the uninterrupted access to the community garden will ensure through a new accessible ramp.
All construction areas will be fully restored to equal, or even better, condition upon project completion.
According to Metro Vancouver board of directors chair Mike Hurley: “The new Stanley Park Water Supply Tunnel will replace a water main that was built in the 1930s and is nearing the end of its service life, so it’s extremely important that we make this upgrade.This work is also part of Metro Vancouver’s push to ensure our drinking water infrastructure can better withstand strong earthquakes and accommodate future population growth.”
Enhancing the system’s capacity and securing a stable water supply for the growing populations in Vancouver and Richmond, the Stanley Park water supply tunnel is expected to meet current seismic standards.
The setimated date for advancing the construction process is through 2029, while the tunnel is expected to play a crucial role in Metro Vancouver’s water supply network, which includes dams, treatment facilities, reservoirs, pump stations, and mains.
