TORONTO – Ground has been broken on the second tunnel launch shaft near the site of the future Gerrard Station on the Ontario Line.
From the launch shaft, tunnel boring machines will travel north, digging three kilometres of twin tunnels underneath Pape Avenue. The shaft will eventually serve as the tunnel portal, where Ontario Line trains will move from above-ground tracks to the underground tunnels, a release reads.
This is just the latest milestone for the project. Earlier this spring, crews started excavation work on the line’s Queen Station. More than 100,000 cubic metres of dirt and rock will be excavated, states a release, and the new Ontario Line platform at Queen Station will be built 40 metres below street level, directly beneath the existing TTC Queen Station.
It will be the busiest stop on the Ontario Line, serving over 15,000 riders during peak hours.
In all, the 15.6-kilometre Ontario Line will have 15 stations, running from Exhibition Place through the downtown core and connecting to the Line 5 Eglinton at Don Mills Road.
The project is slated to support 4,700 jobs annually during construction, the government notes.
