By rosebell
Digging process of the TBM launch site for Toronto’s new Ontario Line was commenced.
As the first subway tunnel project to start in downtown Toronto in more than 60 years, the excavation of almost 6km-long twin tunnels will be done by two TBMs that will start their journey from a 16m-deep shaft near Exhibition Station.
While the twin tunnels are due to stretch from east of Exhibition Station to west of the Don River, the launch shaft will become the portal where Ontario Line trains will transition, travelling east, from above to below ground after tunneling.
Following completion,as a 15.6km subway the Ontario Line will bring 227,500 more people in Toronto within walking distance to transit and over than half the route is slated to be underground.
In order to advancing the design, build and finance of the Ontario Line Southern Civil, Stations and Tunnel (South Civil) package, the C$6bn fixed-price contract was granted to Ontario Transit Group by Infrastructure Ontario and Metrolinx in November 2022. Ontario Transit Group comprises Ferrovial Construction Canada, Vinci Construction Grands Projets, Aecom Canada Ltd, Cowi North America Ltd, GHD Ltd, Sener Group, Janin Atlas Inc, and Agentis Capital.
As well as the twin tunnels, the public-private partnership contract includes four new underground stations, integration of two underground stations with existing subway stations, and one above-ground station to be integrated with the existing GO Transit Exhibition Station.
