Saturday, August 30, 2014

It's Labor Day weekend, a time to put work aside and enjoy these last days of summer. Even the machines are at rest, reposing here on the 1400 block of Farwell, until it is time to get back to the business of replacing water mains next week.

Saturday, August 23, 2014

It seems only fitting that i have moved and lost my my unique vantage point on the substation now that the project is just about complete. I still live close enough to see most of what's going on, but in all honesty, there isn't much activity to record anymore. I will maintain the running count of days since the project began until the substation is fully operational; but in the meantime, i thought i'd shift gears a bit and record the latest in a seemingly never-ending series of neighborhood improvements: the replacement of the water mains on Farwell Ave. Since i assume that many of my readers either live in Rogers Park or like looking at pictures of big machinery in operation, this will hopefully fill the void created by the end of major construction on the substation. I doubt that i will have the same kind of helpful access to information from the water main crew as i have had from the substation team, but i should at least be able to get some good pictures.

Work began on the project yesterday and, according to the no-parking signs posted, is due to be completed within one month (fingers crossed). As inconvenient as it will be to once again lose parking spaces on Farwell (and presumably have at least a portion of the street closed to traffic), it's hard to argue with the need to replace 100-year-old water mains.

Cars being towed

I have no idea what this machine is called: i just call it the street-eater. Whatever you call it, it's pretty cool to watch!

Saturday, August 2, 2014

The substation has been a busy place this past week, as things are being inspected and the final details are being taken care of.

On Thursday, the last of the fencing was taken down from under the viaduct, and workers and inspectors were on the newly painted lower roof to make sure things are working as they should.

On Friday, the conduit was removed from the viaduct, while other last minute activity went on at track level. The work trailer was also removed at some point on Friday afternoon.

By Saturday morning, the sidewalk on the south side of Farwell was open for the first time in 21 months! There is still some landscaping work that needs to be done, and the gravel slope visible in the picture directly above will get some added terracing, but the end of this long project is on the horizon and the substation is very close to being up and running.