The Ontario government has announced the start of tunnelling work on the Ontario Line subway project in Toronto.

With construction underway across the full length of the line, supporting 4,700 jobs annually, the Ontario Line will put nearly 230,000 people within walking distance of modern rapid transit while connecting more people to jobs, relieving gridlock and cutting travel times across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

“The start of tunnelling is an historic milestone for the Ontario Line which, once complete, will help cut travel times for commuters across Toronto by 40 minutes,” said Premier Doug Ford. “Our government will continue to fight gridlock and keep workers on the job by leading the largest expansion of public transit in North America.”

Two tunnel boring machines are digging twin tunnels from Exhibition Station toward the Don Yard near the Don Valley Parkway and Lakeshore Boulevard, as deep as 40 metres below the surface. At the Don Yard, Ontario Line trains will emerge from the tunnels and continue east above ground across the Lower Don Bridge. Once complete, the 15.6-kilometre Ontario Line will run from Exhibition Place to the Eglinton Crosstown LRT at Don Mills Road, with 15 stations and more than 40 transit connections.

The tunnelling work, which is being led by a joint venture of VINCI Construction Grands Projets and Ferrovial Construction, will start in phases with the first tunnel boring machine digging the tunnel for the eastbound track, followed by the second tunnel boring machine, which will dig the tunnel for the westbound track.

Major construction is also underway at Exhibition Station, where crews are building platforms and station entrances on both sides of the track. Exhibition Station will connect riders to GO Transit and bring subway service to the fast-growing Liberty Village neighbourhood, putting thousands more people within walking distance of transit and supporting more than 17,000 nearby jobs. During rush hour, more than 12,000 people are expected to use the station, including more than 6,000 transferring between GO Transit and the Ontario Line.

Major progress is also being made at several downtown stations, with excavation complete at King West, Moss Park and Distillery District, and nearing completion at Chinatown.

"It’s been more than 60 years since we last tunnelled a subway in Toronto’s downtown core, so this is a very pivotal moment for the people of this great city,” said Metrolinx President and CEO Michael Lindsay. “With excavation nearly complete for all downtown stations and major construction underway across the full length of the route, it’s undeniable that we’re full steam ahead on this rapid transit line."

Lindsay said Metrolinx is aiming for the line to come into service in the early 2030s

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