As tunnel boring machines continue to etch their path eastbound underneath Eglinton Avenue from Keele Street for the western leg of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT project, a winning bidder has been announced for the eastern section of tunnel, which will run from Brentciffe Road to Yonge Street, starting just east of the easternmost underground station at Laird Drive. Metrolinx has awarded the $177 million tunneling contract to a 50/50 joint venture between Aecon Group Inc., and ACS Dragados Canada Inc. The contract encompasses the construction of two parallel 6.5 meter diameter tunnels spanning 3.25 kilometers beneath Eglinton Avenue East, as well as two emergency exit buildings.

Updated map of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, image courtesy of Metrolinx

Aecon is currently working on two other high profile transit lines in Toronto; The Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension, and the UP Express elevated spur line, which will soon connect the Georgetown GO Transit line to Toronto Pearson International Airport. The other party in the joint venture, ACS Dragados Canada Inc., is a Canadian subsidiary of Spanish civil engineering firm Grupo ACS, known for large-scale infrastructure projects like hydroelectric dams and commercial projects like opera houses and skyscrapers.

To announce this new development, Metrolinx President and CEO Bruce McCuaig was joined this morning by Glen Murray, Minister of Transportation and Minister of Infrastructure. "We are moving forward on the biggest investment in public transit in the City of Toronto.”, said Mr. Murray, “The new Eglinton Crosstown LRT line will get commuters to work, school and play faster than ever before — up to 60 per cent faster than today."

Glen Murray, Minister of Transportation and Minister of Infrastructure, image by Jack Landau

With the winning bid for the eastern tunnel section announced, additional specific details about the Crosstown are now beginning to emerge. A newly released rendering from Metrolinx gives us our first look at the configuration of the future transition from tunneled section to surface track bed between Brentcliffe and Leslie.

Newly released rendering of the Brentcliffe Portal, image courtesy of Metrolinx

Completion of the eastern tunnel section is currently slated for the second quarter of 2016, while the entire 19 kilometre line, which will include up to 25 stations, is expected to be in service by 2020. Once operational, the Eglinton Crosstown is expected to carry 5,400 passengers during peak travel times and will carry 15,000 passengers per hour per direction, taking several cars and TTC buses off of the road and easing congestion on this vital midtown artery.

Map of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, image courtesy of Metrolinx

With construction on the western tunnel span already well underway, you can now follow the progress of tunnel boring machines Dennis and Lea as they tunnel eastbound toward Allen Road by clicking this link.  

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