What is happening at Eglinton Avenue and Allen Road?

Extraction and Launch Shaft Construction

These large shafts, used for the entry and removal of the tunnel boring machines, will be located within the Eglinton Avenue roadway both east and west of Allen Road. Each shaft will also have an adjacent construction site on the north side of Eglinton Avenue for various tunnelling activities.

What: Extraction and launch shafts are required to be in place prior to the arrival of tunnel boring machines near the Eglinton West Station. The construction of the extraction and launch shafts requires:

Eglinton Avenue West Road Widening

Around the extraction and launch shaft area, crews will widen Eglinton Avenue between Winnett Avenue and Flanders Road, to accommodate construction staging to allow for various traffic patterns of the future construction.

Building Temporary Pedestrian Walkways

Temporary Pedestrian walkways will be built on the north and south sides of the Eglinton Avenue to access Eglinton West subway station, the police station, and Ben Nobleman Park.

Please take care when travelling near construction areas. Pedestrian walkways will remain open. Watch for additional signs directing pedestrians. Pedestrian detours may be required.

Removal of Old Steel Beams, hydro poles, and various street fixtures

Further work is required to remove old steel beams previously installed in the roadway of Eglinton Avenue (as underground structural support for the rapid transit expansion program in the mid-1990s). Crews will also remove hydro poles and various street furnishings to allow for extraction and launch shaft construction.

Very large equipment such as cranes, drill rigs, construction fencing, sound barriers, and jersey barriers etc. for excavating and building the shafts will be visible in the vicinity of Allen Road.

Where:  The initial work zone will be extended west of Atlas Road to east of Allen Road North (Flanders Road). Barriers will be used to separate the work zone from the traffic.

When:  For this initial stage crews will begin to occupy a section of the roadway on the south side of Eglinton for several months.  More stages of the work will follow and construction updates will be provided as the work is phased in the following months.
Construction schedules can be affected by weather and unforeseen circumstances.

Changing Traffic Patterns

Traffic patterns in the area will continue to change and shift during different phases of the work. Eglinton Avenue from west of Atlas Road to east of Glenarden Road will be reduced to one lane in either direction.  Short-term street closures and turning restrictions will allow for this construction to take place. Paid duty officers or flagpersons may be used to allow the traffic to flow and to assist with pedestrians at crossings as necessary.

Due to the current volume of traffic in this area, traffic delays are expected in this area during construction.

Please take care when travelling near construction areas. Pedestrian walkways will remain open. Please watch for additional signs directing pedestrians. Pedestrian detours may be required.

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 to take place.  Metrolinx, City staff and your elected officials are working closely together to monitor and make adjustments to the local road configurations, work zone setups and other day to day items such as signage and temporary adjustments from one to two way streets.  

Work Hours

The majority of work during this phase will occur between 7a.m. and 11p.m., seven days a week. Some work may be scheduled in the overnight period.  Underground tunnelling and associated work may continue 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The Crosstown Community Office

We understand that construction can be disruptive, and we will do our best to keep you informed.  If you would like more details 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.