Launching Gantries
Learn about the specialized lifting machines building the elevated guideway.
Four launching gantries are building the elevated guideway along the Surrey Langley SkyTrain (SLS) alignment. A launching gantry is a large, specialized lifting machine used to lift precast concrete segments into place.
More than 4,400 precast concrete guideway segments, each weighing around 28 tonnes, will be installed by the gantries along the 16-kilometre Expo Line extension.
Each launching gantry is more than 100 metres long and weighs over 440 tonnes. The machines have been given names that reflect the communities where they will be working. The first launching gantry went into operation in July 2025.
What is a Launching Gantry?
Assembly
A launching gantry is a specialized lifting machine made up of two girders, which are long yellow beams that are assembled on the ground. The girders are then lifted in tandem by two cranes, and placed on supports that rest on completed sections of the elevated guideway, or a bent (a horizontal support structure).
Movement
The launching gantry uses a combination of rollers and hydraulic systems to move guideway segments into place and to advance the gantry itself along the alignment.
Guideway Segment Installation
Guideway segments are manufactured offsite at the SLS precast concrete facility and travel to their designated construction site via flatbed truck.
The SLS launching gantries install multiple precast concrete segments at a time between guideway columns to form a span.
When a concrete segment arrives at the construction site, the launching gantry’s lifting bracket is attached. Once attached, the trolley crane lifts the segment and moves it into position with the others to form a span.
Once the row of segments are in alignment, crews use a high-strength epoxy, which is a specialized construction glue, to connect the segments. Steel cables, also known as tendons, are then threaded through the row of segments and pulled tightly to lock them together to form a span. The gantry then slides forward and uses the previously constructed span as support for building the next section of guideway.
Meet Our Launching Gantries
The names of our launching gantries reflect the communities where they will be working. Fleetwood Flyer, Langley Launcher, Surrey Sprinter and Clayton Clipper will play a large part in constructing the Surrey Langley SkyTrain.
The Surrey Sprinter began installing guideway segments at 152 Street Station and is moving west toward King George Station, connecting the current Expo Line to the SkyTrain extension.
This gantry will be responsible for lifting just over 900 elevated guideway segments into place.
Launch date: September 2025
The Fleetwood Flyer began installing guideway segments at Bakerview–166 Street Station and is moving west through the Fleetwood community to 152 Street Station.
Fleetwood Flyer will lift just over 1,000 guideway segments into place.
Launch date: July 2025
The Clayton Clipper began installing guideway segments at Hillcrest–184 Street Station and is moving west through the Clayton community before finishing its work at Bakerview–166 Street Station.
The Clayton Clipper’s route includes installing about 1,150 elevated guideway segments.
Launch date: November 2025
The Langley Launcher began installing guideway segments at Hillcrest–184 Street Station and is moving east towards Langley City Centre Station, the easternmost station on the SkyTrain extension.
This gantry has the biggest workload and will lift roughly 1,350 elevated guideway segments into place.
Launch date: September 2025
Launching Gantry Routes
Each launching gantry travels its own route to build the elevated guideway. View the below map for a closer look at the journey of each gantry.
