Before long, a section of King Street in Kitchener’s north end will be covered by a large, white dome.
Work started Monday to build the supports for the dome along King, between Victoria Street and Moore Avenue.
That section of King has been closed since last spring as an underpass and rail bridge are constructed in advance of the start of Ion light rail transit service in the area.
It is expected to remain closed until late this year.
Officials with the Region of Waterloo say installing the dome is necessary to keep activity happening at the site through the winter, which in turn is necessary for construction consortium GrandLinq to meet construction deadlines.
“The dome is necessary to really continue the work through the winter, and continue the concrete pours for the new bridge,” GrandLinq spokesperson Lauren McGirr told CTV News.
“This is a pivotal piece of work, and we need to get it done as soon as possible.”
It is expected to take about four weeks to complete the dome, which will measure 75 metres long by 40 metres wide.
Once it is installed, the temperature inside the dome will hover around 5 C – warm enough for crews to work with concrete without having to worry about it freezing.
Work under the dome will be focused on the building of retaining walls and a new bridge, which is expected to take two months – including about 15 nights of construction.
It has not been determined whether GrandLinq or the region will pay for the cost of installing the dome.
“This will be worked out through ongoing discussions with GrandLinq and the processes outlined in the project agreement,” Thomas Schmidt, the region’s commissioner of transportation and environmental services, said in an email.
“Should any of these costs be attributed to the region, the Stage 1 ION project budget does include contingencies that would be used to pay for this.”
