The 1,650 millimeter watermain along Neilson Road, a built-up corridor in Scarborough, increased the water supply to York Region and improved the security of the supply and system hydraulic performance by twinning an existing 1,800 millimeter watermain. The 2.5-kilometer watermain was constructed with concrete-encased, cement-mortar-lined, welded steel pipe, used because of its durability and suitability in high-density, built-up urban areas. Construction of the watermain involved extensive tunneling, including a 350-meter, fifteen-lane undercrossing of Highway 401 and undercrossings at four major intersections and entrances. CFA carried out extensive negotiations on the City’s behalf to demonstrate the constructability of the tunnel-crossing under the 401 and secure Ministry of Transportation approval. Careful planning during the design and effective traffic management and staging during the construction maintained continuous traffic and emergency-vehicle routing on Neilson Road and gave uninterrupted access to the Rouge Valley Hospital.
- 2.5 km of 1650 mm watermain on Neilson Road from Ellesmere Road to Sheppard Avenue, using concrete-encased, cement mortar-lined welded steel pipe, due to its high durability.
- A total of 16 valve chambers (3 main line valves, 4 air valves and 4 drain valves and 10 access chambers) were included, plus 1 future connection to the local water system.
- The project involved extensive tunneling including a major undercrossing of Highway 401 (350m length under 15 lanes and ramps), as well as tunneled crossings at major intersections and entrances (Military Trail, Milner Avenue, Livonia Place and at Ellesmere Road).
This project was commissioned as part of ongoing upgrades to the City’s water system to increase security of supply and improve system hydraulic performance by twinning an existing 1800mm watermain on Neilson Road. CFA carried out extensive liaison and negotiations on the City’s behalf, particularly regarding the trunk main tunnel crossing of Highway in order to secure MTO approval.
An effective Traffic Management and construction staging plan including the use of short tunnels and steel road plates maintained continuous access to all properties and adjacent residential streets, particularly to the Rouge Valley Hospital.
Extensive liaison/co-ordination with various stakeholder groups and regulatory agencies were required for permits and approvals that included Hydro One (crossing under a 230 kV overhead transmission line corridor), MOE for dewatering and C of A and gas pipeline companies and the utility companies (hydro, bell, gas) for relocations and crossings.
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This $16.5 million project was commissioned as part of ongoing upgrades to the City of Toronto’s water system. The 1,650 mm watermain constructed along Neilson Road, a built-up corridor in Scarborough, increased the water supply to York Region and improved both the security of the supply and system hydraulic performance by twinning the existing 1,800 mm watermain. Construction of the 2.5 km of watermain involved extensive tunnelling, including a 350-metre, 15-lane undercrossing of Highway 401 as well as four major intersections and entrances.
This project was recognized with the Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) York Chapter Engineering Project of the Year Award in 2012.