The new track now being laid is on the WEST side of the CRs...that'd put it on the future light rail side, roughly in the "slot" that the GLX OUTBOUND will occupy in the future.
So, as I understand it, they moving CR (temporarily) WEST to create space for crews to work on the EAST...presumably on the CR-side on stuff like
- any current east obstructions (like eastside bridge abutments or old platform curbs at Gilman), that would block the final CR Outbound alignment
- the future east retaining structures closest to the final CR Outbound alignment
- the turnout that will connect to the Freight bypass that's been laid near Washington St
With CR operating on the two "center slots" out of the Final 4 (CR Outbound operating on the future CR Inbound, and CR Inbound operating on the future GLX Outbound), will they temporarily pull up the current western track? Or can it be left there? (I'd guess they'd take it out, since they probably want to re-lay drainage pipes and rebuild the whole foundation)
Presumably we go for a while with the CR operating "down the middle" (or even slightly west-of-middle?) while its future-final alignment is cleared, retained, drained, and graded, and then CR gets put in its final eastern location so that GLX construction can start in earnest on the WEST side.
And during the GLX-side (Eastern) construction phase, they'll have the option of single-track operations on the CR Outbound (western most) track if they need an extra margin of safety for crews working on stuff in the GLX's two-track east-side ROW.
"Trying to solve congestion by making roadways wider is like trying to solve obesity by buying bigger pants."--Charles Marohn