Hole digging for a pedestrian tunnel entrance is well under way as shown in the above picture. A large excavator has an extended arm on it to reach deep into the hole for the subterranean pedestrian passage. Notice the heavy steel pilings used to buttress the side walls of the hole, and cross braces so the sides won’t collapse inward onto the construction workers.
This tunnel will be 800′ long, and costs 82 million dollars. All of which will be recovered by a user charge levied on passengers. Payback may be as short as three years. The private consortium is building and financing the whole project, no tax dollars at work. There will also be new sewer and water mains under the tunnel floor.
Here is an artist’s impression of the underground concourse, which will have horizontal people movers, like at many airports:
The passenger tunnel will be completed in 2014, allowing passengers at Toronto’s Billy Bishop island airport to avoid the ferry delays. Here are some more construction pic:
Damn shame if you ask me. One of the great joys of a flight in or out of the Island airport was the short ferry trip across. Especially piquant was tearing across town to the port at the last minute, knowing that if you missed this crossing you missed your flight.
I first I thought some sort of innovative urban development was underway in Ottawa, until I read later it was at the Island airport. Very deceptive! #YTZ