Evidence of corrosion and concrete delamination in St. Laurent O-Train tunnel: Amilcar

The O-Train running along the Confederation Line in Ottawa. (Leah Larocque/CTV News Ottawa)

An inspection of ceiling tiles at the St. Laurent LRT station has found evidence of corrosion and possible damage to concrete, prompting OC Transpo to suspend train stops at that station Friday.

OC Transpo says following a regular visual inspection early Friday morning, "it was observed that a few of the suspended ceiling tiles above the platform were disrupted."

"Following our standard operating procedures, there will be a detailed inspection carried out to assess the cause," Richard Holder, director of Engineering Services, said in a memo to council.

"In order to allow staff to set up the necessary work area to conduct the inspection, St. Laurent Station will be skipped."

Shuttle bus service is available to transport passengers between St. Laurent and other stations along the O-Train line.

In an update Friday evening, Transit Services General Manager Renée Amilcar said there was evidence of corrosion on some of the ceiling panels in the tunnel and potential delamination to the concrete.

"Engineers are continuing their inspection of the suspended ceiling and the concrete above both the north and south platforms," Amilcar wrote. "Infrastructure and Water Services Department engineers will provide recommendations this evening on the best course of action. As always, we will be making decisions out of an abundance of caution with the safety of our customers being the priority."

Amilcar said that trains will continue to run on the full line but will skip St. Laurent Station for the remainder of the day, at least. It's unclear if service at the station will be available on Saturday.

"There is no indication that there are risks to trains so we will maintain service through the station. The rail platforms at St-Laurent station will remain closed until we are satisfied it is safe to re-open," she said.

For riders, this means:

• Trains remain in service from Tunney’s Pasture to Blair Station and will continue to skip St-Laurent Station until the end of service Friday.
• Bus shuttles will continue to operate between St-Laurent and Cyrville Stations
• Route 19 is an additional option for customers traveling east to St-Laurent Station from Hurdman Station
• Route 24 is an additional option for customers travelling west from Blair Station to St-Laurent

Amilcar said if there is a significant change, another announcement would be made Friday night. Otherwise, more information will be provided Saturday morning.

In January, a section of the O-Train line was shutdown for several hours for a structural inspection, after pieces of concrete were found along the track at St. Laurent Station.  Staff said an inspection found the concrete chipped off the main slab inside the tunnel, and crews performed "sounding and scaling" to remove small concrete pieces that had separated from the main slab.

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