Eglinton Crosstown tunneling reaches half way point

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
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Metrolinx

Two tunnel boring machines (TBM) digging the western segment of the 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) underground tunnel for Metrolinx's Eglinton Crosstown line, officially reached the half-way point of their journey Jan. 20 as they broke through the headwall at Allen Road, in Toronto, ON, Canada.

 

Four tunnel boring machines are creating the tunnels that will form the Crosstown’s underground section. The TBMs, Dennis and Lea, boring the western segment tunnels, arrived at Allen Road having travelled 3,547 meters (2.1 miles) from where they started at Black Creek Drive. Each TBM installed 14,124 precast concrete tunnel liners, which formed 2,354 rings.

Over the next several weeks, workers will prepare Dennis and Lea to be moved to the other side of Allen Road to bypass the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) subway line. Once they are relaunched on the east side, both machines will continue their tunnel drives east toward Yonge Street to complete the 6.5-kilometer (4-mile) western segment of the Crosstown tunnel.

“It’s great to see progress on this important transit project that will benefit Toronto riders,” said Steven Del Duca, Ontario’s minister of transportation. “This project is proof of our government’s commitment to making the daily commute and quality of life better for Ontario families.”

The Crosstown, part of Metrolinx’s 25-year regional transportation plan known as The Big Move, represents a CA$5.3 billion (US$4.2 billion) transit improvement investment by the Ontario government. When in service, the Crosstown will bring new fast, reliable and comfortable transit to Toronto residents, integrated with existing TTC and GO Transit services.

Construction on the Crosstown began in 2011 with the west launch area at Black Creek Drive and Eglinton Avenue. Dennis and Lea began tunneling from the west in June 2013. Humber and Don, the TBMs that will dig the east tunnels, will begin their drives in fall 2015, once construction of the east launch shaft is complete at Brentcliffe Road.

 

 

 

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