On Dec. 15, the contract to design and build the guideway for the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension was awarded to Aecon Infrastructure Management.
The 1.5-kilometer (0.93-mile) segment of the route will run from just east of Jane Street along the north side of Eglinton Avenue West to west of Scarlett Road before heading underground again.
Building the elevated guideway is critical to moving forward on the project, which will extend the Eglinton Crosstown Light-Rail Transit (LRT) another 9.2 kilometers (5.7 miles) farther west and bring much-needed rapid transit to Etobicoke and Mississauga, Ontario. The extension will run from Mount Dennis in the east to Renforth Drive in the west, featuring connections to UP Express and Kitchener GO train services, as well as Toronto Transit Commission, GO and MiWay bus services.
Aecon will subcontract certain early works to Aecon Six Nations (A6N), a successful Indigenous-owned and operated general partnership between Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corporation (51 percent) and Aecon (49 percent). Aecon will also support Metrolinx to explore partnerships with Indigenous-owned businesses during the project.
“We are pleased to expand our role in delivering this critical transit extension that will improve mobility for surrounding communities and decrease travel times for commuters,” said Jean-Louis Servranckx, president and CEO, Aecon. "Building on Aecon’s experience executing some of the most complex transit projects in Ontario’s history, we look forward to successfully executing this project while supporting our client in working collaboratively with local and Indigenous communities.”
The work under the contract will be focused on the structure of the guideway, including piers and foundations, and connections to the tunnel portals that will bring the line underground at either end of the guideway.
The design and construction of the two stations along the elevated section – Scarlett-Eglinton Station and Jane-Eglinton Station – will be delivered under a separate contract. Procurement of that package of work – the stations, rails and systems contract – is expected to start in the months to come
Preparing for construction
Work has already started to prepare areas along the elevated route for construction, including collecting soil samples that will help advance planning and design work for the guideway and elevated stations. Installation will begin in the weeks to come of a temporary two-way cycle path on the south side of Eglinton Avenue West that will help keep cyclists moving safely during construction.
The path will run along the existing curb lane and be separated from vehicle traffic by concrete barriers. A new permanent section of lane will be created at the southeast corner of Eglinton Avenue West and Jane Street to keep vehicle traffic flowing while buses pick up and drop off riders.
When construction of the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension is complete, a new multi-use path and sidewalk will be installed on the north side of Eglinton Avenue West and the temporary cycle track on the south side of the street will be removed.
Major construction on the guideway is expected to start later in 2024.
Tunnelling progress
As work on the elevated guideway kicks into high gear, tunnelling work is moving forward quickly.
The two tunnel boring machines, also known as Renny and Rexy, are entering the final leg of their journey before they are brought to the surface at the extraction shaft at Scarlett Road.
Procurement for the second tunneled segment of the extension, stretching from just east of Jane Street to Mount Dennis Station, is also moving forward. A request for proposals has been issued for the work and the successful construction team is expected to be named in early 2024.
The Eglinton Crosstown West Extension will reduce yearly greenhouse gas emissions by up to 5,800 metric tons and when combined with the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, will result in 6.5 million fewer car trips each year.
