Laird Station East Headwall Construction (North Side) & Watermain Relocation for Twin Tunnels Stage One (Spring - Summer 2014) - Update

The Eglinton Crosstown is a 19 kilometre light rail transit line that will run along Eglinton Avenue through the heart of Toronto, with an underground central section.  The line will connect Mount Dennis in the west to Kennedy Road in the east, and the new service  will be up to 60% faster than the bus service today.

What work is starting?

What: Crews will be relocating a watermain for the construction of the east headwall for the future Laird Station. Headwalls are underground support walls located at the east and west ends of the future station location. Following the relocation of the watermain and existing utilities, crews will be installing the east underground station headwall in advance of the twin tunnel construction.
 
Why: These station headwalls 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. As a terminus station, Laird Station will include special track sections requiring an elongated underground section.  Construction of the headwalls requires the utilities to be moved safely out of the way.

Where: The work zone will extend approximately from Brentcliffe Road to east of Sutherland Drive along Eglinton Avenue East. Construction will take place in two stages.  The work zone will be located on the north side of Eglinton Avenue East during stage one and shift to the south side of Eglinton Avenue East during stage two. Concrete barriers with chain link fence will be used to separate the work zone from traffic.

When: Construction will start as early as May 12, 2014 until Summer 2014.  Crews will occupy the north lanes of Eglinton Avenue for several months in the area east of Brentcliffe Road to east of Sutherland Drive to relocate the watermain utility and install the Laird Station east headwall.  Some work may be rescheduled or adjusted due to weather conditions and unforeseen circumstances.

During the first stage of work, construction will take place on the northeast side of Eglinton Avenue East near Brentcliffe Road.  Following this construction, work will shift to the south side of Eglinton for work on the south side of the east Laird headwall.  

Traffic Details
Just west of Brentcliffe Road, traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction on the south side of Eglinton.  Parking will be restricted along the north and south of Eglinton Avenue in this construction zone.  Bus lanes will be accommodated where possible.  Please take care when travelling near construction areas.

Pedestrian Walkways
During construction of the watermain, there will be a temporary closure of the pedestrian sidewalk on the north side of Eglinton Avenue East between Brentcliffe Road and Don Avon Drive.  To ensure the safety of pedestrians during this time, they will be diverted to the south sidewalk along Eglinton Avenue East.  Pedestrians will be able to cross Eglinton at Brentcliffe Road and Laird Drive.  

Following the watermain construction, the north sidewalk will be open to pedestrians.   Pedestrians will be separated from the construction site by concrete barriers with chain link fence. Please take care when travelling near construction areas. Please watch for additional signs directing pedestrians. Paid Duty officers will be used as required at intersections or for various construction activities.

Public Transit
Both eastbound and westbound TTC bus stops in the affected area may be relocated for the safety of the transit riders.  Please watch for posted signs indicating the adjusted locations.

Work Hours
The hours of work as permitted by the by-law for this contract are between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., 7 days a week, when required. The contractor will not always work during the extended hours, but may do so at its discretion.

Please Contact Us
If you would like more detail about this work or any other aspect of the Eglinton Crosstown project, please do not hesitate to contact us.  We thank you for your continued patience as we work to build rapid transit.