ABOVE: Flanking the future railroad station building, George E. Cooper, resident engineer of the West Haven Project Field Office for Stratford engineering consultant STV Inc., far left, leads city and state Department of Transportation officials on an hourlong site tour Monday, June 4, of the West Haven train station. From left, Assistant City Planner Harry Eberhart, city Planning and Development Commissioner Meredith L. Allen, Mayor John M. Picard, DOT Commissioner James P. Redeker, DOT Assistant District Engineer Lynn N. Cichowski, DOT Rail Administrator Eugene Colonese and city Land Surveyor John Watson.

 

The new Metro-North Railroad commuter station is being built between Hood Terrace and Railroad Avenue near Sawmill Road and Interstate 95’s Exit 42.

 

Plans include a surface parking lot with 648 spots and a 3,000-square-foot station building with a waiting room, restrooms and a newsstand.

 

The $103 million project is progressing at a steady pace and is on track to open in spring 2013.

As Metro-North trains roared by along what DOT officials have called “the busiest stretch of railway in North America,” crews from contractor Manafort Bros. of Plainville were seen doing detailed and extensive concrete, electrical and plumbing work.

According to Cooper, the steel framing has been erected on the station building and the two stair towers, which stand on opposite sides of the tracks. Most of the precast concrete slabs and concrete retaining walls have also been poured.

 

In a few weeks, workers are expected to connect the stair towers with a prefabricated steel pedestrian bridge.

 

On the south side of the tracks, a steel canopy the span of 11 railcars is being installed to cover the concrete pedestrian platform from the elements. A similar canopy is under construction to shelter the platform on the north side.

 

ABOVE: Panoramic view of the concrete pedestrian platform and affixed steel canopy,

along with the concrete retaining walls and north stair tower across the tracks. 

ABOVE: Crewmen do electrical work near the north stair tower as a train whizzes past.

ABOVE: View of the south stair tower and upper floors inside the station building.

ABOVE: The prefabricated steel pedestrian bridge should soon link the stair towers.

 

(City Photos/Michael P. Walsh)