Hydro One starts construction of downtown Toronto tunnel
Hydro One has started construction of a new tunnel in downtown Toronto.
The utility company announced the start of construction of the structure, that will run 85 feet below ground from the Esplanade to Bay and Dundas.
The tunnel will be 12 feet in diameter and will house new transmission cables, replacing cables that have served Toronto's downtown core since the 1950s.
Hydro One is investing approximately $120 million in the project to ensure it can continue to provide clean and reliable energy to some of Toronto's most critical institutions, including Hospital Row, City Hall and the Financial District.
"Hydro One plays an important role in supplying power to Toronto Hydro and its customers in the downtown core. The new tunnel we are building underneath the city will house our critical, upgraded power lines and improve reliability for customers," said Andrew Spencer, Vice President, Transmission and Stations, Hydro One. "We're steadfast in our commitment to making strategic investments in our aging infrastructure to prepare the grid for the impacts of climate change."
The utility says it is working closely with the City of Toronto and Toronto Hydro to coordinate construction needs and the use of a tunnel boring machine, minimizing disruptions to residents and local businesses by allowing for most of the required construction to take place underground.
The tunnel boring is expected to be completed by early 2024; the installation of the new cables is expected to be completed by 2026.
"We are pleased that investments are being made in all parts of the provincial system to ensure that Toronto Hydro will be able to continue to safely and reliably deliver the electricity our customers use to power their homes, businesses and lives," said Toronto Hydro spokesperson Daniel McNeil.
Much of Ontario's electricity system was built in the 1950s. Over the next five years, Hydro One plans to undertake projects that will reduce the impacts of power outages, renew and replace critical transmission and distribution infrastructure, enable economic growth and prepare for climate change in almost every community across Ontario.
Once complete, the new tunnel will run between the Esplanade and Terauley transformer stations.