The Ontario government says it’s one step closer to getting shovels in the ground on the Yonge North Subway Extension, but construction isn’t expected to begin until the end of 2024.
In April, it released the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for the Advance Tunnel Contract – the first step in choosing a contractor to design the tunnels and build the launch and extraction shafts that will be used for the tunnel boring machines, which are scheduled to be delivered in 2025.
The contract also includes the design and construction of headwalls for stations and emergency exit buildings. Metrolinx is scheduled to finish the RFQ phase this summer, followed by submission of proposals from selected firms by year’s end. Tunnelling will begin first, followed by a separate contract to build the stations, rail and systems, the government reports.
In February, work began on early upgrades at Finch Station that will set the groundwork for future construction on the $5.6-billion Yonge North Subway Extension, which will connect communities in Toronto, Markham, Richmond Hill and Vaughan along an eight-kilometre extension of TTC Line 1 subway service. Among other upgrades, workers are installing new traction power infrastructure needed to energize trains on the eight-kilometre extension.
In an update to York Regional Council on May 18, Metrolinx report a new transit hub at Bridge Station will bring transit access to the Richmond Hill Centre and Langstaff Gateway development areas, reducing traffic congestion as those communities grow while offering transfers to as many as five existing and future regional transit lines. Metrolinx has also begun relocating utilities along Yonge Street in Toronto and York Region.
Under the Building Transit Faster Act, 2020, Metrolinx must notify property owners and occupants that the land they own or occupy is on or within 30 metres of newly designated transit corridor lands. Since April 27, it has sent notification letters to about 1,000 property owners, hand delivering letters to residents in key communities.
Upon completion, the Yonge North Subway Extension will accommodate more than 90,000 daily trips, putting 26,000 more people within a 10-minute walk of transit and more than 22,900 employees within walking distance to a station. It’s expected to reduce daily travel times for commuters by up to 22 minutes, reduce the distance travelled by personal vehicles by 7,700 kilometres during rush hour and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 4,800 tonnes each year, the government reports.
The Metrolinx subway extension map and more information is available here.
