Twin tunnels completed for the Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor

Construction of the twin tunnels is complete for the Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension (TYSSE). The final segment of tunneling was finished when tunnel boring machine (TBM) "Torkie" broke through the headwall at the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre Station site, finishing the 10th and final tunnel drive for the project.

 

This sets the stage for the next phase of work in the tunnels including installation of inverts and walkways, track, traction power, signals and communications systems.

TBMs “Holey”, “Moley”, “Yorkie” and “Torkie” have bored 6.4 kilometers (3.9 miles) of twin tunnels for the TYSSE project. In the summer of 2011, the first TBM “Holey” began boring from a launch shaft at the Downsview Park Station site.

The TYSSE is an 8.6-kilometer (5.3-mile) extension of the Toronto Transit Commission’s (TTC) Yonge-University-Spadina subway line from its present terminus at Sheppard West Station (currently called Downsview Station) to the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre at Highway 7 in York Region. Construction work is expected to be completed by fall 2016 and has generated thousands of jobs. Once the subway extension is completed, it will have six new subway stations and three new passenger parking lots.

The Canadian government has committed up to CA$697 million (US$654 million) to the project and CA$622 million (US$583 million) through its Building Canada Fund. The remaining CA$75 million (US$70 million) was transferred to fund the project under the Public Transit Capital Trust in 2007.

The province of Ontario has provided CA$870 million (US$816 million) towards the TYSSE project through the Move Ontario Trust. The city of Toronto is contributing CA$526 million (US$493 million) and The Regional Municipality of York is contributing CA$352 million (US$330 million) to the project. The TTC is the project manager for construction of the extension.

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