St. Laurent LRT station remains closed for ceiling repairs

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The St-Laurent LRT stop was expected be out of service until at least Wednesday as OC Transpo maintenance crews continue work to repair the station’s concrete roof and surrounding infrastructure.

In an update Monday, OC Transpo general manager Renée Amilcar and Tammy Rose, general manager for Infrastructure and Water Service, said trains running from Tunney’s Pasture to Blair Station will skip the St-Laurent stop Tuesday, as they did throughout the holiday weekend. Bus shuttles will operate between St-Laurent and the Cyrville Station. The earliest possible return to normal operations is Wednesday.

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The station has been out of service since Friday morning after OC Transpo discovered suspended ceiling tiles and corrosion of some ceiling panels.

During the weekend, construction crews removed the suspended panels over the rail platforms and made recommendations to remove the corroded areas. The work was expected to continue late into Monday night, once the entire LRT system stopped running for the night. According to OC Transpo, some of the work required is “in proximity to the Overhead Catenary System and so cannot be safety exercised while the system is energized.”

When the repair work has been completed, a final inspection will be conducted. A full cleaning of the rail platforms will also be necessary before the station is re-opened.

In earlier memos to city council, Amilcar indicated that an initial assessment showed evidence of corrosion of some ceiling panels and potential delamination of the concrete. She wrote that ceiling panels have been cut out to facilitate inspections and crews have removed panels showing “significant corrosion or accumulation of debris.”

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Amilcar said there was evidence that water infiltration had caused corrosion of sections of the suspended ceiling structure and contributed to minor delamination of the concrete roof slab.

The accumulated debris seen on top of the ceiling panels “appears to be comprised of concrete slurry that spilled over from construction during the 2023 St-Laurent Station platform rehabilitation project,” her memo to council stated.

Amilcar noted the concrete roof slab predated light-rail construction and the affected section of St-Laurent Station was originally built to serve buses as part of the Transitway system.

“Based on the current state of the infrastructure and the evidence of ongoing water infiltration, engineers have recommended that all of the suspended ceiling panels be removed to allow for a full inspection of the concrete roof slab, a process which is expected to take several days,” Amilcar said.

The city requires engineers to sign off on the remedial work to ensure that any hazards associated with falling concrete debris and falling ceiling debris has been mitigated.

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“Once these points have been confirmed to the city’s satisfaction, and any temporary corrective or protective measures are completed, OC Transpo will reopen the platforms and return St-Laurent to full service,” Amilcar stated.

OC Transpo will update its progress on Tuesday, with a news media conference expected on Wednesday.

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