ONxpress teams to conduct geotechnical collections to gather more information about soil conditions

As part of the next steps for Metrolinx’s GO Expansion, over the next year, ONxpress (Metrolinx’s partner in the On-Corridor portion of the GO Expansion program) teams will be deployed across GO’s rail corridors to conduct geotechnical collections by drilling boreholes, collecting soil samples and gathering more information about the soil conditions at different places in the region’s rail corridors.

What’s a borehole?

To get the soil samples, ONxpress will be using a drill rig to drill a hole in the ground.

The drill loosens the soil and digs down to create a ‘borehole.’ Once the desired depth is reached, the team will replace the core drill bit with a ‘spoon’ – a hollow cylinder that is pushed into the ground.

Once complete, the spoon can be split, and the samples retrieved. These samples can then be taken to the lab for study and analysis.

When will borehole work start?

Borehole work has already started at two sites in late 2022 – one near Maple GO and another near Pickering GO. This work wrapped up in late January.

Up next, work near East Gwillimbury GO, Bradford GO, Stouffville GO and Scarborough GO will get started in March.

Over the coming months, boreholes will be drilled in various locations across the network, with teams typically spending about three weeks working at each site. Notices will be sent to nearby businesses and properties ahead of the work.

Most of this work is expected to take place during daytime hours, but in some cases, there may be a need to complete work after train service has ended for the day to ensure the safety of all crew members.