Tunneling begins on Ontario Line project
Tunnelling has officially started on the Ontario Line, marking a major milestone in the project. The government of Canada has also revealed names selections for four downtown stations to better reflect the neighborhoods they will serve in an effort to make the line easier for riders to navigate.
Two tunnel boring machines have started digging twin tunnels from Exhibition Station toward the Don Yard, as deep as 40 meters (131.3 feet) below the surface. At the Don Yard, Ontario Line trains are set to emerge from the tunnels and continue east above ground across the Lower Don Bridge.
Once complete, the 15.6-kilometre (9.69-mile) Ontario Line will run from Exhibition Place to the Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit at Don Mills Road, with 15 stations, and more than 40 transit connections, including to Toronto Transit Commission Lines 1, 2 and 5, multiple streetcar and bus routes and three GO train lines. The line will also bring nearly 230,000 more people within walking distance of transit.
“The Ontario Line will help to transform the GTA, making it faster and easier for residents to reach home, school or work,” said Canada Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Gregor Robertson. “By working together, we are building the first new subway line in Toronto in decades, and we are thrilled to see progress continue.”
Four downtown stations will be renamed to better reflect Toronto neighborhoods in an effort to make them more recognizable for riders. The station rebrandings include:
- King-Bathurst will now be known as King West
- Queen-Spadina as Chinatown
- Corktown as Distillery District
- Riverside-Leslieville as Leslieville
The government of Canada willbe investing more than C$4 billion (US$2.9 billion) in the Ontario Line, the single largest federal public transit investment in Toronto, according to the government. The government of Ontario is leading the project’s construction through Metrolinx.
“The start of tunnelling is a historic milestone for the Ontario Line which, once complete, will help cut travel times for commuters across Toronto by 40 minutes,” said Ontario Premier Doug Ford. “Our government will continue to fight gridlock and keep workers on the job by leading the largest expansion of public transit in North America.”