Construction crews have broken ground on the final tunnel segment of the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension.

Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria announced the news on April 8.

Once complete, the nine-kilometre line will connect seven new stations to the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, bringing more than 37,500 people within a 10-minute walk of transit.

The Eglinton Crosstown West Extension will create more than 4,500 jobs from engineers to construction workers, crane, and heavy equipment operators.

Crews have now started excavating the twin 500-metre tunnels under Eglinton Avenue West, from Jane Street to the future Mount Dennis Station. The tunnels will be built using a sequential excavation method, advancing one to two metres per day.

Last June, the province completed tunnelling on the western underground portion of the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension from Renforth Drive to Scarlett Road, where the LRT will transition to a 1.5-kilometre elevated guideway, currently under construction.

"Better public transit means Torontonians can get to work, school and appointments faster. The Eglinton Crosstown West Extension will make life easier for residents of Etobicoke, York and Midtown Toronto – meaning thousands of people will enjoy faster commutes," said Mayor Olivia Chow. "The city's strong partnership working together with the province is building more transit for the people of Toronto."

The new transit line will connect riders to regional transit services, including the UP Express, GO Transit, TTC and MiWay, where they can benefit from the province’s “One Fare” program and transfer for free. Combined with the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, the extension will cut commute times between popular destinations like Yonge and Eglinton and Square One by up to 24 minutes per trip.

Ontario is investing nearly $70 billion over the next decade in public transit, including the largest subway expansion in Canadian history: the Ontario Line, the Scarborough Subway Extension, the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension and the Yonge North Subway Extension.