Crews will be installing a new steel pipe culvert to replace the existing collapsed culvert.

The new culvert in Small’s Creek will restore the creek’s water flow through the embankment, improve drainage and reduce the risk of flooding.

This work is part of the Toronto Lakeshore East Rail Corridor project, which includes grading, retaining walls and bridge widening to accommodate a future fourth track.

Metrolinx is working to improve infrastructure that will help enable future two-way, all-day, more frequent service.

Small’s Creek culvert replacement

The new culvert will be 2 metres wide and approximately 76 metres long.

It will maintain the water flowing from the north side (Merrill Bridge Road Park) to the south side (Williamson Park Ravine).

How will the culvert be installed?

Following extensive studies, the construction team selected the safest, most efficient, and least disruptive option to perform the work.

The construction uses a trenchless method called open-face tunnel boring, which involves a small tunnel boring machine advancing through the embankment and pulling the pipe behind it.

Compared to the other methods, open-face tunnel boring is less disruptive because it uses a smaller footprint than an open trench and doesn’t create vibrations or loud hammer striking noises – reducing the impacts to the green space around it as well as nearby residents.

The new culvert will be located beside the old culvert and the flow of the creek will always be maintained.

Once the installation of the new culvert is complete, water will be diverted into the new culvert, and the old culvert will be capped for safety.