Government of Ontario starts excavating launch shaft for Ontario Line subway tunnels at Exhibition Station
The government of Ontario has started excavating the launch shaft for the Ontario Line subway tunnels at Exhibition Station, marking another milestone in the province’s plan to slash commute times across the Greater Toronto Area and bring nearly 230,000 people within walking distance of public transit.
“It’s been more than 60 years since the first subway tunnels were built in downtown Toronto,” said Ontario Minster of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria. “Under the leadership of Premier [Doug] 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 government of Ontario notes the 16-meter (52.5-feet)-deep launch shaft will be the starting point for two tunnel boring machines that will dig six kilometers (3.73 miles) east from Exhibition Station to the Don Yard, west of the Don River. Once tunneling is complete, the launch shaft will be repurposed as a tunnel portal where Ontario Line trains will transition from above to below ground.
“The Ontario Line subway is part of one of the biggest partnerships to construct public transportation in Canadian history,” said Canada Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen. “Work is progressing and today’s groundbreaking is another step toward affordable, reliable and quick public transit for Torontonians.”
The government of Ontario notes Exhibition Station will be a vital transit hub, serving both the future subway and existing GO rail customers. A trip across the city from Exhibition Place to the Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit at Don Mills Road will take 30 minutes or less compared to the hour and 10 minutes it takes today.
As part of the Transportation Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, the government of Ontario is delivering Ontario’s priority transit projects, which include the largest subway expansion in Canadian history – the Ontario Line, the Scarborough Subway Extension, the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension and the Yonge North Subway Extension.
According to the government of Canada, in 1959, crews began construction on the segment of Line 1 that runs under University Avenue between Union and St. George stations. In 1962, work began on the first section of Line 2, which stretched between Keele and Woodbine stations, the last time subway tunneling was started through the downtown core.
During peak periods like the morning rush hour, the Ontario Line will reduce crowding by up to 15 per cent on the busiest stretch, between Bloor-Yonge and Wellesley on the Toronto Transit Commission's Line 1.
