Construction Update - Fall, 2020

Phase 1a of the Mud Creek Tunnel construction project is well underway. There has been a lot of activity within your neighbourhood and the City is sending you this update letter to help explain some of those activities and to inform you of what can be expected over the coming months. This type of construction project is unique and involves a considerable amount of preparation for heavy machinery and construction materials to be delivered to the site. The following activities are underway or have been completed to date:

• Clearing of cut trees from the CN rail to Wonderland Road
• Construction of Access Roads and Staging areas on the north and south side of the tracks
• Temporary re-routing of the existing Mud Creek and smaller tributaries
• Construction of temporary sending chamber/pits (large circular concrete

Upcoming Construction Work:

In each staging area, large circular concrete sending pits are being constructed on the north and south side of the railway embankment. These sending pits are temporary and are being constructed to facilitate a large boring machine that will tunnel the two large culverts (one by one) under the CN Rail tracks. Once the tunnel receiving chamber/pit is constructed on the south side, the contractor will move to the north side of the CN rail line (over the next 3 weeks). Then the tunnel boring machine will be delivered to the site by crane and the start of the tunnelling process will take place in November or December. This schedule is contingent upon CN Rail providing a full time staff member, otherwise known as a flagging person, to provide safe oversight of the CN rail lines during the tunnelling operations.

During the tunnelling operation, there will be frequent delivery of large pipes and materials to the site on a daily basis for approximately 4 weeks. The current proposed tunneling operation will occur during the regular construction hours between 7:00 am and 7:00 pm but this may change to an additional night shift if the progression of the tunnel causes changes in the current schedule for a period of up to 2 weeks.

The Phase 1a tunneling project is scheduled to be completed by spring 2021. Once the tunnel project is completed, the temporary sending pits will be removed and a concrete headwall will be constructed to allow the creek to flow through the tunnel. Please note that the creek will not be routed through the new tunnels until the channel is reconstructed as part of the next phase of the project.

To keep you informed, the City will host a physically distanced public meeting in spring 2021 prior to commencing the Phase 1b natural channel rehabilitation project. This meeting will be held outdoors as a question and answer session with a maximum of 10 people per meeting. Multiple meetings may be scheduled depending on interest.