Impressive new elevated transit line takes shape in Toronto
Toronto is getting a new elevated transit corridor with an ongoing extension of that pesky little Eglinton Crosstown LRT project — and, thankfully, this one is moving a bit faster than its still-unopened and seemingly cursed first phase.
Under construction since July 2021, the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension (ECWE) will carry the LRT line another 9.2 kilometres from the first-phase western terminus at Mount Dennis to the Mississauga city limit at Renforth Drive.
While much of the line will run underground in tunnels, a portion of the extension just west of Mount Dennis Station will operate on a 1.5-kilometre elevated guideway, running east of Jane Street along the north side of Eglinton Avenue West before heading underground again.
The elevated guideway will carry the line across the Humber River and a low-lying floodplain and minimize risks associated with underground construction in flood-prone areas. However, the choice proved contentious due to plans to clear-cut wooded areas along the bridge's route.
The Save Eglinton Flats Coalition had characterized the destruction as a form of "environmental racism" in an already marginalized pocket of the city, and the resulting tree removals did indeed leave the area looking like a total wasteland.
However, work pressed on, and construction of the guideway is now making significant headway.
Metrolinx has released a time-lapse video outlining the elevated guideway's progress and construction methods.
"Building an elevated guideway isn't about speed, it's about precision," states Metrolinx. "But we're getting both on the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension project thanks to the technique being used to construct the deck of the elevated guideway."
Metrolinx explains that "Crews will pour the deck one section at a time from each end, meeting perfectly in the middle," stressing that it is "Safe, efficient and minimizes disruption to the surrounding area."
Metrolinx
