King Road at CN Rail Grade Separation

72 hours
to position the box structure using hydraulic jacks

0 commuter
rail service disruptions

New innovative design
for construction

Challenges

Due to the high volume of trains in this location, wait times and queues resulted in long delays and inefficient movement, which would only worsen after development.
The residential community south of the railway was hampered to move north to Highway 403 and employment lands were hampered trying to move south to Plains Road.
Existing mainline tracks could not be taken out of service for the duration of the bridge construction. Because of its designation as a major rail corridor, the Oakville subdivision could not be taken off-line for any significant time period as this would adversely impact the costs associated with its commuter business and intermodal freight services.
The existing Indian Creek had to be temporarily realigned during construction. Subsequently it was permanently redesigned from a closed channel system to a more natural, open-channel creek as an aqueduct structure over the top of King Road.

The grade separation of CN’s mainline railway and King Road was principally accomplished by erecting a concrete-reinforced bridge structure adjacent (south) to the location of the grade separation and sliding it into place using ‘bridge jacking/sliding’ design and technology.
During a weekend shutdown, CN’s three mainlines were taken out of service and the structure was slid into place using hydraulic jacks. The tracks were then restored in time for regular commuter traffic.
As part of a joint venture, Hatch was the prime consultant responsible the entire project, from completion of the environmental assessment including public information center through to detailed design, tender preparation of three contracts, coordination of utility relocations, and construction administration.

A box structure was designed that involved ‘bridge-sliding’ methodology, the largest such undertaking by CN in Ontario. Methodology allowed for construction of the grade separation to be carried out without a rail detour, accelerating installation and reducing cost.
Innovative interlocking pipe-pile wall used for abutments excavation support to be installed quickly to meet the schedule while maintaining performance and efficiency.
Innovative watercourse engineering involving the design of an aqueduct structure carrying Indian Creek over King Road.