On Thursday, Nov. 29, the Toronto Transit Commission's tunnel boring machines (TBMs) named 鈥91亚色ie鈥 and 鈥淭orkie鈥 simultaneously broke through the headwall at the Keele St. extraction shaft, marking another important milestone for the Toronto-91亚色 Spadina Subway Extension project that, upon completion, will provide direct subway access to 91亚色's Keele campus. The recent dig took the machines under 91亚色鈥檚 campus, creating the twin tunnels that connect from Steeles West through to 91亚色 and Finch West Station.
鈥91亚色ie鈥 and 鈥淭orkie鈥 break through the headwall at the Keele St. extraction shaft
The TBMs began tunnelling last winter from the launch shaft located at the north end of the Keele campus 鈥 south of Steeles Avenue West and east of North West Gate. The extraction shaft, where the TBMs arrived, is located at Keele Street, north of Murray Ross Parkway. Each of the two tunnel drives was 1,660-m long and approximately 2,225 liner rings were placed to create the tunnels.聽Both TBMs will now be dismantled and moved to the Highway 407 launch shaft where they will begin creating the next section of twin tunnels towards Steeles West Station.
The tunnel boring machines will soon begin their route from Highway 407 Station to Steeles West Station聽
Much progress is being made by the project's other TBMs, too. 鈥淗oley鈥 recently passed under Whitehorse Road and Kodiak Crescent and is anticipated to break through the headwall at the Downsview extraction shaft soon, while TBM 鈥淢oley鈥 just crossed under Sheppard Avenue West Moley has tunnelled 484 m to date and is expected to arrive at Downsview in January.
鈥淗oley鈥 and 鈥淢oley鈥 are well on their way to completing their tunnels
Follow the progress of 91亚色ie, Torkie, Holey and Moley and view maps of the area鈥檚 subway-related construction activity .
For more information, visit聽91亚色鈥檚聽聽web page.聽For specific 聽construction information, contact the construction information line at 1-800-223-6192 or e-mail聽TYSSE@ttc.ca. For hearing impaired service, contact TTY Service at 416-481-2523 (daily, from 8am to 6pm; closed holidays).