en.Wedoany.com Reported - Tunneling and station construction are advancing simultaneously on the 6.7-kilometer subway segment of Toronto's Ontario Line, which runs east from Exhibition Place through downtown Toronto, ending at the Don Yard.
The twin-tube subway tunnel project begins at a launch shaft east of Exhibition Station, a deep-buried reinforced concrete structure. Two German-made, 150-meter-long tunnel boring machines will excavate through rock and soil up to 40 meters underground, heading to the endpoint 6 kilometers east of Exhibition Station. The tunnel project includes six deep underground stations, one major surface station, and 6.7 kilometers of twin-bore tunnels.
The project, named "Ontario Line Southern Civil, Stations, and Tunnel," is being delivered by the Ontario Transit Group, a joint venture between Ferrovial Construction and Vinci Construction Grands Projets. Ferrovial CEO Ignacio Gastón stated that the complexity of this tunnel project sets it apart from most international metro projects.
The downtown tunnel section is particularly complex, partly because the excavation of deep shafts and caverns is adjacent to numerous office skyscrapers. Construction employs a sequential excavation method, using roadheaders to carve out caverns at station locations to assist tunnel construction. Gastón noted that roadheaders generate less noise and surface vibration than traditional pneumatic drills. The tunnel project also integrates civil works, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering, and architectural finishing within a single delivery scope. Gastón explained that this "creates highly complex interfaces within the design itself and requires an exceptionally high level of cross-disciplinary coordination."
Most shaft and cavern excavation work is nearing completion, and construction crews at some stations have begun permanent works, building reinforced concrete structures. The tunnel boring machines consist of seven gantries, a connection bridge, a shield, a cutterhead, and are equipped with continuous monitoring systems. These machines were shipped from Germany several years ago and stored off-site; transporting them to Exhibition Station required extensive coordination with local authorities because many components are "exceptionally heavy and large."
During tunnel construction, excavated material will be continuously removed from the site, while construction materials are brought in according to a specific schedule. Gastón said: "We manage this logistics around the clock to maintain productivity and limit disruption to surrounding streets, neighborhoods, and active transportation infrastructure." The tunnel project is expected to be completed in the early 2030s.
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