Construction underway along the line is expected to support about 4,600 jobs annually.
Ontario Construction News staff writer
This week crews are starting excavation on four underground stations along Eglinton Avenue West at Martin Grove Road, Kipling Avenue, Islington Avenue and Royal York Road. Work includes building the station boxes, which are the underground structures that make up the main body of the station.
“We continue to make progress on our government’s plan to reduce gridlock and get Ontarians where they’re going quickly and safely,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation. “With shovels in the ground on four of the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension stations, we’re helping thousands more Ontarians access employment opportunities and housing while creating jobs that drive economic growth.”
Once complete, the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension will bring the Eglinton Crosstown LRT 9.2 kilometres farther west, creating nearly 30 kilometres of rapid transit along Eglinton Avenue, linking Scarborough, Midtown Toronto and Mississauga into a single continuous transit line. The extension will save passengers up to 24 minutes travelling from Toronto’s Yonge and Eglinton to Mississauga’s Square One.
Ontario has announced about $70 billion in public transit, including the largest subway expansion in Canadian history with the Ontario Line, Scarborough Subway Extension, Eglinton Crosstown West Extension and Yonge North Subway Extension.
“TRACCS Transit and Rail proudly commends the Ontario government on achieving this pivotal milestone for the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension,” TRACCS Transit and Rail chairperson Mark Salsberg, Chairperson said in a statement. “By advancing excavation on these four key underground stations, this historic investment not only tackles regional gridlock and enhances transit safety but also injects vital job opportunities into the construction and engineering sectors that drive our province’s economic future.”
The Eglinton Crosstown West Extension, when combined with the Eglinton Crosstown LRT (Line 5 Eglinton), will result in 6.5 million fewer car trips each year. The extension will connect with other regional transit operators, including UP Express, GO Transit, TTC and MiWay bus services.
Seven stations will be built along Eglinton Avenue West – at Jane Street, Scarlett Road, Royal York Road, Islington Avenue, Kipling Avenue, Martin Grove Road and Renforth Drive.
Excavation was recently completed on the first of two 500-metre tunnels running from Pearen Park to Mount Dennis Station.
Workers have also finished 85 per cent of the piers that will support the 1.5-kilometre elevated guideway and are making significant progress building the bridge decks that the trains will travel across
“In addition to the completion of the six-kilometre west tunnelled section, I am excited by the continuing progress along the entire 9.2-kilometre route, with the piers and bridge for the elevated guideway quickly taking shape and the final set of tunnels nearing completion on the eastern end of the route,” Metrolinx president and CEO Michael Lindsay said in the news release. “This extension will be a vital east-west connection across the City of Toronto, making it easier and more convenient for thousands of people to travel from Scarborough, through Midtown Toronto and into Mississauga.”
