Tunnelling complete on segment of Eglinton Crosstown West Extension

TBMs Rexy and Renny spent two years digging twin 6.3-kilometre tunnels for the western segment.

June 24 – Rexy and Renny have wrapped up their work on the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension and are hanging up their hard hats. 

Over the past two years, the twin tunnel boring machines (TBMs) have been the driving force behind progress on the western underground segment of the extension. The project will bring future Eglinton Crosstown LRT service 9.2 kilometres farther west with seven new stations along the way. 

The 750-tonne, 131-metre-long machines carefully excavated through the earth to construct two parallel tunnels stretching 6.3 kilometers from Renforth Drive in Mississauga to west of Scarlett Road in Etobicoke, where the future line will come to the surface and transition to a 1.5-kilometre elevated section. Renny broke through the final wall and emerged from the tunnel at the extraction shaft in May, approximately three weeks after the other TBM, Rexy, reached the finish line. 

Along the way, Rexy and Renny excavated approximately 1.2 million tonnes of soil and rock and installed a total of more than 52,000 pre-cast concrete segments to build 7,433 sturdy rings to support the tunnel walls. 

As Rexy and Renny head off into well-deserved retirement, work will continue at the extraction shaft to lay the foundations and form the structure of the future tunnel portal. Over the months to come, crews will finish up work on the passageways that connect the tunnels. 

Along the route between Scarlett Road and Jane Street, work is happening to prepare sites for construction of the elevated segment, which will run along the north side of Eglinton Avenue West. Crews are also preparing work sites from east of Jane Street and Mount Dennis Station to excavate the eastern underground section of the line, which will connect the extension to future Eglinton Crosstown LRT service.  

To keep up with progress on construction, follow the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension on Instagram, X and Facebook. 

For accredited journalists, you can contact our media team at mediarelations@metrolinx.com. 

For customers, please visit Metrolinx – Contact Us to contact the customer service team.