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Metrotown is
an elevated station on the Expo Line of Metro Vancouver's SkyTrain rapid
transit system. The station is located in the Metrotown area of
Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. It is the fifth-busiest station in
the SkyTrain system. The station is located between Central Boulevard
and Beresford Street, east of Willingdon Avenue.
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Metrotown
station was built in 1985 as part of the original SkyTrain system, on
what is now known as the Expo Line. The overhead walkway that led to
Metropolis at Metrotown shopping centre was added to the station in
1989. Originally, the bus loop was open-air and connected to the station
via an at-grade street crossing.
The station was originally
designed as a suburban station serving
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residential neighbourhoods and
local transit connections. It experienced a major traffic increase due
to the opening of nearby shopping centres and the redevelopment of the
neighbourhood, leading to passenger loads and circulation surpassing the
design capacity of the original station.
In 2007, TransLink
established plans for a major retrofit and
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redesign of the station to
improve passenger flow and increase station capacity. Construction began
in February 2015, with an estimated cost of $55.5 million.
On
November 15, 2016, TransLink closed the pedestrian overpass that
connected the station to the Metropolis shopping centre. The closure was
a result of preparation work required in rebuilding the
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east
stationhouse. No timeline was provided for when a replacement overpass
would open. The closure has led to criticism and extra travel time for
many passengers.
The centre stationhouse opened to the public on
March 24, 2017, and features new stairs and elevators. On July 24, 2017,
the west stationhouse opened, featuring four escalators.
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The
rebuilt east stationhouse opened on March 19, 2018, and—like the west
stationhouse—it also features four escalators. Upon completion of the
third phase, the station has a total of eight escalators, three
elevators as well as stairs to and from platform level.
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