Massive Ontario Line stations take shape deep beneath Toronto
Toronto is in the midst of an impressive transit glow-up, the centrepiece of which is set to be the new 15.6-kilometre Ontario Line linking Exhibition Place with the new Line 5 Eglinton.
The $27-billion, 15-station subway line will close a missing link in the city's transportation network, while relieving overcrowded interchange stations between the busy Line 1 and Line 2 routes.
A massive undertaking such as the Ontario Line has many moving parts, and keeping track of over a dozen construction sites around town requires eyes underground and in the sky — something Metrolinx has stayed on top of since the project's 2022 launch.
The regional transit agency has shared impressive updates on this game-changing infrastructure project in recent days, offering unique perspectives on the ongoing construction to keep future Ontario Line riders in the loop.
Chinatown Station
This underground station at Queen and Spadina is sure to be one of the busiest on the line, providing subway access to its namesake neighbourhood as well as the bustling Queen West shopping strip.
While it's still in a very raw-looking state, Metrolinx has playfully compared the station's current appearance to a pig snout as crews carry out waterproofing and construct station walls ahead of the arrival of tunnel boring machines, dubbed Libby and Corkie.
King West Station
Crews are hard at work at this future underground station, pouring concrete and installing crown-lining formwork for the station walls. The process involves a giant temporary mould that will be filled in with concrete to create the walls of the station, which will stretch approximately 10 metres long by 23 metres wide.
Cosburn Station
Work here is in a much earlier state than sections of the line west of the Don River. Crews at the Cosburn site are currently working on a guide wall, which Metrolinx explains on social media is "a shallow concrete structure that aligns and stabilizes the top of the future excavation area before deeper work begins."
Pape Station
Also much earlier in its construction, ongoing work at the Pape Station site includes road restoration work following the completion of ground improvement work along Danforth Ave.
Tunnels and bridges
These stations will be linked together by a series of tunnels, bridges, and even an elevated guideway.
Tunnelling for the line commenced this spring near Exhibition Station, with twin tunnel boring machines to gradually carve their way through the downtown core and terminate at the Don River.
Trains will cross the Don River on one of two bridges – a steel arch structure now in place spanning the river. A few kilometres to the northeast, the much larger Don Valley Crossing bridge is now beginning to rise from the valley floor, with its enormous concrete piers ascending into a popular skyline view.
The Ontario Line is expected to welcome its first passengers in the early 2030s.
Metrolinx
