Comments by Mayor Greg Moore

Thank you all for coming today.

As you know, we’re here today to celebrate a major milestone in the construction of the Coast Meridian Overpass. We recently passed the half-way mark in the project’s construction, and soon the push-launching of the steel bridge spans will begin. That’s when things will really get interesting around the CMO work site!

Over the next few months, we’ll be able to watch the crews as they start installing the spans that will support the bridge deck over the CP Rail Yards.

Without going into any great technical detail, here’s how the launch process works. To my left you can see the piers that cross the CPR Yard. Each of the five piers will have temporary rollers on top. Behind me on the ramp is the first steel bridge deck piece. Each deck piece will be assembled here and then pushed by the yellow hydraulic rams from the south abutment 100 metres to the rollers on the first pier. The next section of the steel bridge deck is then added to the first and extended assembly is pushed by the rams another 125 m north to the second pier. This process of adding a section of deck and pushing the assembly to the next pier continues all the way to the fifth pier at Lougheed Highway, over ½ km away.

I’m not an engineer, but I have to say that I think the whole push-launch process will be pretty amazing! Especially, if you consider that there is over 48,000 tonnes of steel involved and that each 125 metre span weighs 1,030 tonnes. It’s quite an engineering feat – particularly because the bridge piers are as far as 125 metres apart from each other. If you look behind me towards the rail yards, you’ll get an idea of just how far that is. In fact, because of the distance between the piers, this project will be breaking records in Canada for having the longest push-launches. And that’s just one of many interesting facts about this project. You’ve probably already heard that the CMO is the City’s largest transportation infrastructure project to date. It’s also one of the biggest municipal bridge projects in North America, for a community of our size.

Of course, we wouldn’t be here today without our funding partner TransLink, which recognized early on the importance of the CMO not only to our community, but to our entire region. Because of TransLink’s contribution, in a year’s time we will be driving, cycling, walking and taking transit across this beautiful cable-stayed bridge.

I have to say that we’ve been fortunate to have had a lot of support for this project.

For example, since construction has started the local project team from Canadian Pacific Railway has been excellent to work with. Thanks to their cooperation, we were able to complete the works in the rail yard two months ahead of schedule. I understand that some of the CP team are here today and I’d like to take this opportunity to say ‘thanks’.

And of course our design-build partner, SNC-Lavalin Constructors (Pacific) Inc., has been working hard to keep the project on target. I’m very pleased that a number of representatives of SNC-Lavalin, SNC-Lavalin Constructors and its CMO contractors were also able to join us to celebrate the mid-way mark. Please join me in a well-deserved round of applause for the SNC-Lavalin CMO team.

It seems everyone is looking forward to seeing the CMO completed, and the many benefits it will bring to Port Coquitlam and the region. Having talked to many residents, I know I’m not alone in being excited about being able to get home to my family that much quicker at the end of my work day. Similarly, I’ve had many hockey and lacrosse parents tell me how much less time they’ll need to get their kids to practices at the Recreation Complex.

Once the overpass opens in early 2010, we’ll see fewer traffic jams, and more people moving freely around our community on two wheels, on four wheels and on foot. We’ll see less air pollution from idling cars. The impact of the air pollution is significant. Studies tell us that the CMO will reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions by up to 13,000 tonnes per year. I did the calculation and that works out to the equivalent of CO² emissions for almost 1,250,000 gallons of gasoline!

I know that Deputy Fire Chief, Kerry Stubbert, is here today and he’d be able to tell you what a difference the CMO will make to emergency response times. And I know that we’ll see less frustration and wasted time, and better access for our residents and for our businesses.

As it turns out, this project is already pumping dollars right back into our community. A number of Port Coquitlam companies have received contracts related to the CMO construction, including Dynamic Structures, Pipe & Piling Supplies Ltd., and Standard Electric. And I know that’s just a taste of what’s to come once CMO opens and changes the skyline of our community forever.

It’s a day we’re all looking forward to.

Earlier, I acknowledged our funding partner, TransLink. In addition to being our funding partner, TransLink has also played an important role within the CMO Project team. I understand that Susan Hollingshead is here today and I’d like to acknowledge her and the TransLink team their hard work on this project.

At this time, it is my pleasure to introduce Sheri Plewes, VP of Planning and Capital Management and invite her to say a few words on behalf of TransLink.

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As you can see in the rendering behind me, the CMO will do more than just move vehicles through our community. It has been specifically designed to safely accommodate the passage of bicycles and pedestrians too. As someone who regularly commutes to City Hall on my bike, I am especially pleased to see this component integrated into the design. At this time, I would like to invite Iain Black, MLA for Port Moody Westwood and the Minister of Labour and Citizens’ Services to bring greetings on behalf of the Provincial Government.

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In closing, I want to again thank our funding partner, TransLink. Thanks also to Minister Black and the provincial government for coming forward with $2 Million in funding for the bicycle lanes on the Coast Meridian Overpass.

Special thanks also to all contractors, City staff and consultants working on this project.

And, thank you again to all of you for coming today, to be part of this important milestone.