Second tunnelling contract awarded for Eglinton Crosstown West Extension
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- Second tunnelling contract awarded for Eglinton Crosstown West Extension
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Metrolinx has awarded the contract for the second underground segment of the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension.
Feb. 20 - The Eglinton Crosstown West Extension has taken another important step toward bringing faster transit to more people in the Greater Toronto Area.
On Feb. 16, the contract to design and build the second underground segment of the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension was awarded to Strabag Inc.
The 9.2-kilometre Eglinton Crosstown West Extension will connect with future Eglinton Crosstown LRT service and create a seamless rapid transit line from Scarborough, through midtown Toronto, and into Mississauga. The project will add seven new stations to the 25 stations and stops that will soon open along the Eglinton Crosstown LRT.
The package of work in the second tunnelling contract includes detailed design and construction of a 500-metre tunnel that will connect the existing terminus of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT at Mount Dennis Station to a portal east of Jane Street where the line will run on an elevated guideway, and changes at the station that will accommodate extended Eglinton Crosstown LRT service.
This image from another Metrolinx project shows the tunnelling method which will be used on the eastern underground portion of the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension. (Metrolinx image)
The contract also includes supplying mining and tunnelling equipment, construction of launch and extraction shafts, modifications at Mount Dennis station to accommodate extended Eglinton Crosstown LRT service, and utility work and road modifications along Eglinton Avenue West to accommodate construction activities.
Work is underway to prepare the site for major construction on this segment of the project, which is expected to begin in later in 2024 after a detailed schedule is finalized.
Following the awarding of a separate contract last December, major construction is also expected to begin soon on the 1.5-kilometre elevated section of the line that will run from west of Scarlett Road to the tunnel portal near Jane Street.
The latest project map for the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension. (Metrolinx image)
Tunnelling work update
Work on the first underground segment of the line, between Renforth Drive and Scarlett Road, is entering its final phase. Renny and Rexy, the twin tunnel boring machines excavating the line, have each completed more than five kilometres of their approximately six-kilometre journey to the extraction shaft at Scarlett Road, where they will be disassembled and brought to the surface. Progress on tunnelling can be followed via the TBM tracker on the Metrolinx website.
Awarding the contract for the second underground segment brings the project one step closer to curbing traffic congestion and creating more sustainable communities. The Eglinton Crosstown West Extension is expected to accommodate nearly 69,700 transit trips each day, which will take nearly 6.5 million car trips off the road, when combined with the Eglinton Crosstown LRT. This will help offset greenhouse gas emissions by up 5,800 tonnes each year.
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