This spring, construction continues along the pipeline route and at facilities throughout Alberta and BC. Many steps are involved in building a pipeline and it isn’t unusual to see the same types of work at different phases of completion across the Project corridor. This year, we’ll see peak construction for the Project with thousands of people working at hundreds of worksites.
Spring Breakup
Although the warmer spring weather brings an increase in construction in many areas, in the Yellowhead region of Alberta and in BC’s North Thompson, construction slows down or halts entirely for spring breakup. During breakup, melting snow and frost that causes the ground to become soft and muddy. Prior to breakup, construction crews minimize the amount of equipment on the right-of-way (ROW). During breakup, the crews shorten the length of any open ditches to reduce the amount of water that will need to be pumped out, which allows the ROW to dry faster, and additional matting is also used. Additional watercourse protection measures are also used to prevent silt or sediment from travelling into bodies of water due to thaw and spring runoff.
Pipeline Construction Continues
In the BC Interior, work will continue in Lac du Bois, Kenna Cartwright Park and at Black Pines as well as in the Kamloops Urban Area. This work includes clearing, grading, stripping and blasting, as well as steep slope work followed by pipe installation. Work will also begin on a new 1.5-km transmission line north of Kamloops that will provide power to Trans Mountain’s Black Pines Pump Station, which is currently under construction as part of the Expansion Project.
Construction will restart in the Coquihalla-Hope region after a pause in activity through the winter season due to weather conditions, causing avalanche risk and access issues. A slower construction season in the winter was also in place in this area to account for snail and spotted owl hibernation windows, which close at the end of March. Work in the Upper Fraser Valley this spring will focus on developing access points, clearing, grading and hauling, which will prepare the area for future pipeline construction. Near Hope, steep, wet terrain throughout the springtime will require heli-logging activities to continue while preparation activities begin on access roads for the summer construction season.
Pipeline construction in Coquitlam, BC, which began earlier this year, will continue west of the Port Mann Bridge in the United Boulevard area, including a trenchless crossing of Burbridge street. Preparatory activities, including surveying and clearing will be ongoing throughout the Lower Mainland.
Fraser River Crossing
The Fraser River Horizontal Directional Drill in the vicinity of the Port Mann bridge in the Lower Mainland is also underway this spring. Work for this crossing will take place in two temporary work spaces, with drilling taking place at the entry site on the south (Surrey) side of the river and pipe assembly taking place at the exit site on the north (Coquitlam) side.
