Contract awarded for Eglinton Crosstown West Extension guideway
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- Contract awarded for Eglinton Crosstown West Extension guideway
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Metrolinx has awarded the contract for a major part of the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension.
On Dec. 15, the contract to design and build the elevated section, or guideway, for the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension was awarded to Aecon Infrastructure Management Inc.
The 1.5-kilometre segment of the route will run from just east of Jane Street along the north side of Eglinton Avenue West to west of Scarlett Road before heading underground again.
Building the elevated guideway is critical to moving forward on the project, which will extend the Eglinton Crosstown LRT another 9.2 km farther west and bring much-needed rapid transit to Etobicoke and Mississauga.
A rendering showing an aerial view of the elevated section of the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension. (Metrolinx image)
The work under this contract will be focused on the structure of the guideway, including piers and foundations, and connections to the tunnel portals that will bring the line underground at either end of the guideway.
The design and construction of the two stations along the elevated section – Scarlett-Eglinton Station and Jane-Eglinton Station – will be delivered under a separate contract. Procurement of that package of work – the stations, rails, and systems contract – is expected to start in the months to come.
A rendering showing the 1.5-kilometre elevated section of the project. (Metrolinx image)
Preparing for construction
Work has already started to prepare areas along the elevated route for construction.
That includes collecting soil samples that will help advance planning and design work for the guideway and elevated stations. Installation will begin in the weeks to come of a temporary two-way cycle path on the south side of Eglinton Avenue West that will help keep cyclists moving safely during construction.
The path will run along the existing curb lane and be separated from vehicle traffic by concrete barriers. A new permanent section of lane will be created at the southeast corner of Eglinton Avenue West and Jane Street to keep vehicle traffic flowing while buses pick up and drop off riders.
When construction of the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension is complete, a new multi-use path and sidewalk will be installed on the north side of Eglinton Avenue West and the temporary cycle track on the south side of the street will be removed.
Major construction on the guideway is expected to start later in 2024.
A nighttime look at the project's elevated section, from a driver's perspective. (Metrolinx image)
Tunnelling progress
As work on the elevated guideway kicks into high gear, tunnelling work is moving forward quickly.
The two tunnel boring machines, also known as Renny and Rexy, are entering the final leg of their journey before they are brought to the surface at the extraction shaft at Scarlett Road.
Updates on Rexy and Renny’s progress can be found through the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension TBM tracker.
Fly over the elevated guideway section of the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension to get a sense of what it will look like. (Metrolinx video)
Procurement for the second tunnelled segment of the extension, stretching from just east of Jane Street to Mount Dennis Station, is also moving forward. A request for proposals has been issued for the work and the successful construction team is expected to be named in early 2024.
Awarding the contract for the elevated guideway brings the project one step closer to contributing to cleaner air and greener, more sustainable communities.
The Eglinton Crosstown West Extension will reduce yearly greenhouse gas emissions by up to 5,800 tonnes and, when combined with the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, will result in 6.5 million fewer car trips each year.
To keep up with progress on construction, follow the Eglinton Crosstown West on Instagram, X, and Facebook.
For more information, email mediarelations@metrolinx.com