Crosstown construction reaches Yonge & Eglinton

What kind of work is starting in the Yonge and Eglinton area?

East of Yonge Street

Extraction Shaft Construction

An extraction shaft, used for the removal of the tunnel boring machines, will be located within the Eglinton Avenue roadway on the east side of Yonge Street.

Utility Relocation

The first stage of work in this area is utility relocation. Construction of the headwalls and shafts requires that some utilities be moved safely out of the way. Depending on site conditions, gas, hydro, water mains, sewers, traffic and street lighting, as well as telephone lines will be relocated to allow for construction.

Crews will be relocating existing underground utilities (i.e. hydro, telecommunication, gas, etc.) from approximately east of Yonge Street to Redpath Avenue along Eglinton Avenue East, in advance of the construction of the extraction shaft.

This work will take place in two stages for up to 12 months. The first stage of construction in the vicinity of the extraction shaft is utility work on the north side of Eglinton Avenue East. The second stage is utility work on the south side of Eglinton Avenue East. Some work may be rescheduled or adjusted due to weather conditions and unforeseen circumstances.

Construction updates will be provided as the work continues.

West of Yonge Street

Headwall Construction

Headwalls, temporary support of excavation, are required to be in place prior to the arrival of tunnel boring machines at each of the station locations along the Eglinton Crosstown route. Construction of some headwalls requires a grout plant to be established nearby to pump a form of concrete, otherwise known as “grout”, to the actual headwall location. During the first stage of construction, a jet grout plant will be situated on the southeast corner of Eglinton Avenue and Duplex Avenue, within TTC leased property.

The work zone will extend from approximately east of Lascelles Avenue to just west of Yonge Street along Eglinton Avenue West. Various traffic control measures and construction zones will occupy Eglinton Avenue West at Duplex Avenue intersection and will shift over in the coming months for the construction of headwall.

Headwall construction is expected to last approximately six to eight months. Some work may be rescheduled or adjusted due to weather conditions and unforeseen circumstances.

Further updates will be provided as the work continues.

Very large equipment such as cranes, drill rigs, construction fencing, concrete barriers will be visible in the vicinity of Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue. All work zones will be separated from the right-of-way with traffic cones and concrete barriers and/or fencing.

How will this affect you?

Transforming transit across the middle of Toronto will involve significant road works. Construction will be visible along the corridor and on some side streets. There will be short-term local street closures and turning restrictions to allow for the construction. Adjustments to the local road configurations, work zones and other day to day items such as signage and temporary adjustments will be implemented, as necessary. Due to the current volume of traffic in this area, traffic delays are expected during construction. Please take care when travelling near construction areas.

Traffic and Pedestrian Information

East of Yonge Street

• During the first stage of construction, work will be performed on the north lanes of Eglinton Avenue East, east of Yonge Street while crews relocate utilities. Traffic will be shifted to the two south lanes of Eglinton Avenue East.
• During this stage, traffic lanes on Eglinton Avenue East will be reduced to one lane in each direction starting from the west of Lilian Street to Yonge Street.
• Due to the relocation of utilities and work on manholes, the north side of the Eglinton sidewalk from just east of Yonge Street to just west of Dunfield Avenue will be closed.
• Pedestrians will be diverted southward to use the south Eglinton sidewalk and cross at the Yonge Street and Dunfield Avenue intersections. Please watch for signs directing pedestrians.
• Left-turns from and onto Holly Street will be prohibited.

West of Yonge Street

• During the first stage of construction, work will be performed on the south lanes of Eglinton Avenue, east of Duplex Avenue while crews install the headwall.
• Traffic lanes on Eglinton Avenue will be reduced to one lane in each direction starting from Lascelles Avenue to Yonge Street.
• Left turns from southbound or northbound of Eglinton Avenue onto Duplex Avenue will be prohibited in both directions.
• Left turns from and onto Maxwell Avenue will be prohibited.
• Left turns from and onto Henning Avenue will be prohibited.
• A portion of the south sidewalk from Duplex Avenue to Yonge Street will be temporarily closed to pedestrians. Please watch for signs directing pedestrians.

All work zones will be separated from the right-of-way with traffic cones and concrete barriers and/or fencing. To ensure safety pedestrian detours may be required during construction. Please watch for additional signs directing pedestrians.

Public Transit

For the safety of transit riders, both eastbound and westbound TTC bus stops in the affected area may be relocated. Watch for posted signs and future information indicating the new locations.

Parking

The construction work requires road restrictions on Eglinton Avenue. On-street parking will not be permitted within the work zone area.

Why does this need to happen?

Here is some background on how this street-level work relates to the construction of the Eglinton Crosstown.

The Crosstown is being constructed through three main contracts: West Tunnels, East Tunnels, and Station Design & Construction. As part of tunnelling work, contractors will construct an extraction shaft and headwalls at Yonge/Eglinton Station. Why? Well, because both the West Tunnel drive and the East Tunnel drive will conclude at Yonge Street, and the tunnel boring machines will have to be extracted when they complete their work.

Do you have questions? Contact us.

We understand that construction can be disruptive, and we will do our best to keep you informed. If you would like more detail about this work or other aspects of the Eglinton Crosstown project, please do not hesitate to contact us. We thank you for your continued patience as we work to bring more rapid transit to Toronto.

Download the PDF document.