Toronto Ontario Line 3 | Metrolinx

nfitz said:
I have no predictions. But I'd hope that by the end of 2030, there won't be big visible construction and cranes everywhere.
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Last I asked about Osgoode, the space is supposed to be handed back to the Law Society in 2028 to restore the garden. If the tunnel goes through Osgoode in 2027, that sounds relatively feasible to build the station up to the ground within a year with activity outfitting the station for 2 more years after that.
 
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fanoftoronto said:
Tunnelling is not the lion's share of the overall build of the new line. Station construction is equally as complex and time consuming. For reference, the Eglinton crosstown west extension finished tunnelling in June 2025 (project broke ground in March 2022), but with station construction just starting we're still only expecting completion by 2029 or 2030.

Station construction for the Ontario line has the added issue of having 35m deep stations in the downtown section which is much more difficult to build than the shallow Eglinton West stations. Also, space is not a concern for the Eglinton West stations vs downtown for the Ontario Line. The good thing for the Ontario Line is that we're already well on our way to build the stations for the line. The only hassle being that the TBMs will have to be dis-assembled and re-assembled when it reaches each of the already excavated stations further increasing the total tunnelling time.

Also, rest assured that according to my research, another 2 TBMs will be used to tunnel the Pape avenue portion of the line: Metrolinx press release

It is clear though, that the opening date for the OL will inevitably push back from the current 2031 date to at least 2033 or later, which is a shame. All of the money being thrown at this project and yet it will be both over budget and delayed.
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you don't need to disassemble the TBMs to go through the station boxes. All that is needed is a set of temporary guide rails installed through the station box to allow the TBM to move. The already excavated station boxes also allows for more thorough TBM maintenance and inspection.
 
cryogen said:
My apologies if these were posted here before but I don't think I've seen them before.

Gerard station and portal:
View attachment 729846

Minton place EEB and portal:
View attachment 729847
View attachment 729854

Don Valley Crossing:
View attachment 729858
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we have seen a few. the gerrard portal looks similar to what the TOC guys put out awhile ago. but lol at the catenary for go transit.
minton portal one is new. im sure the city can come up with a better use for the park.
The bridge ones have been out there for awhile
 
jordanmkasla2009 said:
you don't need to disassemble the TBMs to go through the station boxes. All that is needed is a set of temporary guide rails installed through the station box to allow the TBM to move. The already excavated station boxes also allows for more thorough TBM maintenance and inspection.
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That, and a reinforced floor to handle the weight and point-loading of a TBM.

Which they are currently building at all of the station boxes.

Dan
 
The article referenced in kotsy's post on Monday:

Ontario Line 3 | Metrolinx

China would to the whole thing in one night with 10,000 workers. I've seen the YouTube videos. Ah yeah but then the route would be littered with corpses. So i've heard here, anyway.
urbantoronto.ca urbantoronto.ca
notes that the "Don Valley Crossing Bridge is a balanced cantilever design".
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During construction that means that the bridge is gradually built-out either side of the piers keeping the weight each side roughly balanced, with the vertical lines along the bridge structure being the increments of build-out.

My question is will they be allowed to hang some complex temporary works from the end of the bridge over the DVP and pour the concrete in-situ or will they pre-cast the units and have to close one direction of the DVP each time they lift the unit into place? I've witnessed the pre-cast unit process before but it that would be 14 different DVP closures from a count of the segments over the road.
 
urbancog said:
The article referenced in kotsy's post on Monday:

Ontario Line 3 | Metrolinx

China would to the whole thing in one night with 10,000 workers. I've seen the YouTube videos. Ah yeah but then the route would be littered with corpses. So i've heard here, anyway.
urbantoronto.ca urbantoronto.ca
notes that the "Don Valley Crossing Bridge is a balanced cantilever design".
View attachment 730021
During construction that means that the bridge is gradually built-out either side of the piers keeping the weight each side roughly balanced, with the vertical lines along the bridge structure being the increments of build-out.

My question is will they be allowed to hang some complex temporary works from the end of the bridge over the DVP and pour the concrete in-situ or will they pre-cast the units and have to close one direction of the DVP each time they lift the unit into place? I've witnessed the pre-cast unit process before but it that would be 14 different DVP closures from a count of the segments over the road.
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There are two types of balanced Cantilever design - with precast and with cast-in-place.
Typically, they need several miles of bridge before the precast is considered. Also, they prefer to lift the segments from below which requires a bit more access from below - which is harder in a valley.
Here, they are using cast-in-place, which is more common.
In Ontario there have been maybe a dozen of these balanced cantilever bridges and I think only 1 (pair) were precast - the 12 mile creek bridge carrying highway 406 through St. Catharines (built in early 1980's. MTO just wanted to try it out to know about the technology, but never used it again. The first cast-in-place was Islington overhead over the CN and LSW GO tracks in the late 70's. Then Burlington Skyway SBL in the mid-80's. Then 16 Mile creek carrying Upper Middle Road in Oakville in the 90's. Kitchener had one (Fairway Road) about 2010 and Oakville another (16 mile creek / William Halton Pkwy.) which is not quite done. Hwy 7 New in Kitchener is planned for this too.

So they have relatively good access to the pier, which they needed for piling and foundation and pier work anyways. Above the pier they cast a pier table segment. Then they lift form travelers on either side and cast about 4m of deck on either side. The form travelers then advance the 4m and the next portion is cast. They are anchored into the piece (or two) before that have strong enough concrete. There is a crew at either end, and they do about one segment a week. (this included concrete curing time, but maybe it takes a bit longer at the first couple). The first portion, maybe up to 10% of the span, are solid pieces, while the rest have a large rectangular void through the middle (sometime 2 voids, but likely not for a bridge this narrow). The pier and deck actually see their most severe loading just before they connect to the adjacent span. Of course, they aim the bridge higher than they need because it will deflect down at they built out. This also allows adjustment at every pour if they are going too high or too low.
The concrete is placed with pumps so they have some reach and don't need access immediately below where the segment is cast. This does not count as a craning operation, so it can be done above live traffic.

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Edit: I erred, Islington was Precast.
 
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nfitz said:
Three tracks? Possibly with place for 4 tracks?

What am I seeing?
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It may be "check rails" for enhanced derailment safety on viaducts. Important for automated systems.

Also, some "gadgetbahn"-ish systems have extra rails inside the rails, like Vancouver's Skytrain and Montreal REM for various purposes (automated train check rails, or linear induction motor rail, or other rail reason).

Ontario Line tech is very similar to both in that it's automated.

Mind you, using "gadgetbahn" word in a neutral way as this tech is among successful niches rather than a failed gadgetbahn; as I am pro-REM/OntarioLine/SkyTrain. So are rubber-tyred trains like Montreal/Paris.

REM has 4 rails for one track.

(Montreal REM, credit: Wikipedia)
960px-The_R%C3%A9seau_express_m%C3%A9tropolitain_%28REM%29_light_metro_rapid_transit_in_Montreal%2C_Quebec%2C_Canada_06.jpg
 
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mdrejhon said:
It may be "check rails" for enhanced derailment safety on viaducts. Important for automated systems.

Also, some "gadgetbahn"-ish systems have extra rails inside the rails, like Vancouver's Skytrain and Montreal REM for various purposes (automated train check rails, or linear induction motor rail, or other rail reason).

Ontario Line tech is very similar to both in that it's automated.

Mind you, using "gadgetbahn" word in a neutral way as this tech is among successful niches rather than a failed gadgetbahn; as I am pro-REM/OntarioLine/SkyTrain. So are rubber-tyred trains like Montreal/Paris.

REM has 4 rails for one track.
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REM is definitely not a gadgetbahn, it is a conventional rail system with the only caveat that it's completely disconnected from any other rail network. It's the legacy metro system that's more of a gadgetbahn with its rubber tire technology. As for having 4 rails, that's fairly standard on overpasses, even on mainline rail, and is meant to prevent a train from going too far off course in the event of a derailment.
 
81-717 said:
REM is definitely not a gadgetbahn, it is a conventional rail system with the only caveat that it's completely disconnected from any other rail network. It's the legacy metro system that's more of a gadgetbahn with its rubber tire technology. As for having 4 rails, that's fairly standard on overpasses, even on mainline rail, and is meant to prevent a train from going too far off course in the event of a derailment.
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Just checked... I confirmed they're check rails in Ontario Line's case.

(Fully driverless public transit /still/ "feels" slightly gadgetbahn (for now) though, but they're getting more widespread in conventional-trains as of late, ala REM and OL.)

Ontario Line will have 4 rails in one track on the viaduct for safety reasons, in a similar fashion as REM.

Yes -- it makes sense. When a trail derails, the check rails keeps a derailed train wheel between two rails -- preventing the train from falling off a viaduct and killing people. With no people driving the train, I'd definitely feel better with these check rails. It's good to have these, especially when a rare earthquake occurs and such.
 
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