The construction of the long-awaited Scarborough Subway Extension is finally underway as the Ontario government broke ground on the project Wednesday (June 23) during an official ceremony attended by premier Doug Ford, Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney, and Mayor John Tory.
The Scarborough Subway Extension will bring the TTC’s Line 2 subway service 7.8 kilometers farther into Scarborough. It will extend from Kennedy Station to Sheppard Avenue and McCowan Road, providing quick and seamless transit for those heading into and out of the downtown core and those travelling within Scarborough.
The extension will replace Line 3 (the Scarborough RT), helping to reduce travel times and improve access to jobs, schools, and other key destinations throughout the city. The Scarborough Subway Extension, which is estimated to be complete by 2029-30, is expected to attract more than 100,000 riders each day.
In a press release, Premier Doug Ford acknowledged that “for far too many decades, the people of Scarborough have waited for better transit”. But he added that “today (the 23rd), our government is getting shovels in the ground and delivering on our election promise to bring fast, convenient subway service into Scarborough”.
The project is touted as a key pillar of the province’s historic $28.5 billion subway expansion program, which also includes the Ontario Line, the Yonge North Subway Extension, and the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension. Together, these projects will add more than 40 kilometres of new subway service to the rapid transit network.
Infrastructure Ontario and Metrolinx have awarded a $757.1 million contract to Strabag to design, build and finance the tunnel for the Scarborough Subway Extension. The Strabag consortium includes international and local companies with extensive experience working on other major tunnelling projects in Canada and around the world.
Preparatory work at the site, which began in April, is now complete and tunnel boring is expected to begin next year.
(Photo credit: Metrolinx)