Excavation Starts at First Ontario Line Tunnel Launch Shaft

Excavation is now underway near Exhibition Station for the Ontario Line’s tunnel boring machine (TBM) launch site.

A 16-m deep shaft will become the starting point for two TBMs that will dig a roughly 6-km pair of twin tunnels — the first subway tunnel project to start in Toronto’s downtown core in more than 60 years.

Two twin tunnels created by the TBMs will run from just east of Exhibition Station to just west of the Don River. Following tunneling, the launch shaft will become the portal where Ontario Line trains will transition, traveling east, from above to below ground.

When complete, the Ontario Line will be a 15.6-km subway that will bring 227,500 more people in Toronto within walking distance to transit.

“It’s been more than 60 years since the first subway tunnels were built in downtown Toronto,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation. “Under the leadership of Premier Ford, we’re getting the Ontario Line done to tackle gridlock and increase access to fast, reliable and affordable transit for millions of people across the GTA.”

The Ontario Line will have 15 stations, running from Exhibition Place through the downtown core and connecting to the Eglinton Crosstown LRT at Don Mills Road. Exhibition Station will be a vital transit hub, serving both the future subway and existing GO rail customers.

The Ontario Line includes two tunneled sections: the Southern Civil, Stations and Tunnel contract; and the Pape Tunnel and Underground Stations contract.

The Southern Civil, Stations and Tunnel contract was awarded to Ontario Transit Group under a $6 billion (CAN) design-build-finance agreement. The project comprises 6 km of twin tunnel and seven stations. Ontario Transit Group comprises:

• Applicant Lead: Ferrovial Construction Canada Inc., VINCI Construction Grands Projets
• Design Team: AECOM Canada Ltd., COWI North America Ltd., GHD Limited, SENER Group
• Construction Team: Ferrovial Construction Canada Inc., Janin Atlas Inc.
• Financial Advisor: Agentis Capital

The Pape Tunnel and Underground Stations contract was awarded to Pape North Connect in an agreement estimated between $1 billion and $2 billion (CAN). It involves 3 km of tunnel and two underground station. Pape North Connect comprises:

• Applicant Leads: Webuild Civil Work Inc., Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas Canada Ltd.
• Design Team: Arcadis, AECOM Canada Ltd.
• Construction Team: Webuild Civil Work Inc., Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas Canada Ltd.

The Ontario Line is being built by Metrolinx in partnership with Infrastructure Ontario.