With tunnelling complete, and work now on to prepare for track installation, much of the construction activity for Metrolinx's Crosstown LRT has shifted towards the construction of the line's stations. Possibly the most important of these is Eglinton Station, where the LRT will connect with the existing Yonge line station of the same name in the heart of Midtown Toronto.

Preliminary work on this key interchange station has been ongoing for several months now, including the demolition of a Salvation Army location at 7 Eglinton East last Summer, followed by the teardown of Eglinton Station's former bus terminal last September. Most recently, a shallow excavation of the future station's 130 metre by 20 metre footprint has prepared the site for the start of shoring activity.

Shoring at the site of the Crosstown LRT's Eglinton Station, image by Forum contributor WillTo

To be conducted in multiple phases, the project's shoring will involve the driving of vertical piles into the earth surrounding the future station building's perimeter, to begin building the earth retention system that will allow for a safe excavation. This process will include pile installation, jet grouting, and temporary road deck installation. The first phase of shoring—which is expected to take approximately six months to complete—will stretch far beyond the former bus terminal, covering the entire south side of Eglinton Avenue between Duplex Avenue and Holly Street. In total, all phases of the station's shoring are expected to take two years to complete.

Diagram of the current phase of work, image courtesy of Metrolinx

Before the new staton can be built, existing utilities around the Yonge and Eglinton intersection have to be relocated, including storm drains, hydro ducts, water mains, and telecommunications utilities. During the relocation work, pedestrian and vehicular flow through the Yonge and Eglinton intersection has been and will continue to be restricted due to varying lane closures.

Lane restrictions on Eglinton, east of Yonge, image by Forum contributor WillTo

We will return with updates as work progresses on the Crosstown LRT. In the meantime, additional information about this station can be found in the Database file, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum threads, or leave a comment in the space provided at the bottom of this page.