The major project to replace 17 of the 18 escalators in the Henry F. Hall Building is well underway and the first of the escalators will be installed this month.
The first and current phase involves the replacement of the escalators between floors and nine and 12, as well as the east escalator in the lobby. The ceramic work has been almost completed on the upper floors and KONE, the manufacturer of the escalators, is bringing in three teams to begin the installation.
The work in the lobby is slightly more complicated. Because the escalator is being delivered in one piece, not in modules like the others, a large window will have to be removed from the front of the Hall Building in order to get it into place. Preparations have begun with the installation of four towers with a chain block to facilitate the entry of the lobby escalator. The actual operation will take place Saturday, May 21 with the delivery of the large escalator, likely necessitating the closure of a lane or two of De Maisonneuve Boulevard.
For safety reasons, the stairway and escalator leading from the tunnel to the lobby will be closed from Wednesday, May 18 to Wednesday, May 25. The shuttle bus stop remains in its current location, but the queue heads west instead of east.
To prepare for the new lobby escalator, a slab of concrete must be cut from the ground floor of the Hall Building. This work could be noisy and disruptive. As such, the work will be done mainly outside business hours from May 17 to 19. Any questions about this disruption, or other aspects of the project, should be directed to the Service Centre at 514-848-2424, ext. 2400.
Related link:
• “Escalator project rolling right along” – NOW – March 16, 2011
