Metrolinx has nearly completed assembly of its tunnel boring machines (TBMs) for the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension.
After travelling from the factory in Schwanau, Germany, and arriving at the Port of Hamilton, they made the short trip to the tunnel launch site near Renforth Drive and Eglinton Avenue West in Mississauga.
There was a lot of prep work needed to get the site ready for the tunnel boring machines. A large hole needed to be dug, colloquially referred to as “the pit” by the construction team. Complete, it’s 80 meters (262.5 feet) long, 20 meters (65.6 feet) wide and 17 meters (55.8 feet) deep, which is big enough to hold about 10 Olympic-size swimming pools worth of water.
Lowering the cutterheads into the launch shaft was an exciting moment – they each weigh about 65 tons and were lowered by crane.
In January, after months of voting and deliberation, the TBMs were named Rexy and Renny. These names are a tribute to Renforth Station (Renny) in Mississauga and the Rexdale neighborhood (Rexy) in northwest Toronto that is adjacent to the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension.
As the months progressed, the TBMs began to take shape and the team made a lot of progress as January turned into February. The tunnel launch shaft looks quite a bit different today compared to the day the first piece was lowered.
As it gets closer to spring, Metrolinx says the team is looking forward to the start of tunnelling.
