Stretch of Yonge Street will be redirected long-term for new subway station

A portion of Yonge Street will have to be rerouted long-term to allow construction of a new subway station.

Metrolinx has announced that a portion of the major artery just north of Toronto will be shifted to the east, allowing crews to excavate below the existing roadway to construct the future Clark Station on the $5.6-billion Yonge North Subway Extension (YNSE).

The approximately eight-kilometre, five-station subway extension passed an important milestone last Thursday, with the official completion of excavation work on the launch shaft where tunnel boring machines will soon embark on a more-than six-kilometre voyage to extend the TTC's Line 1 - Yonge University subway. 

That path will cross through independently excavated station boxes, like the one that will be dug for the future Clark Station. To facilitate the excavation of this station ahead of the tunnel boring machines' arrival, Metrolinx will be redirecting a portion of Yonge between Glen Cameron Road and Clark Avenue in Markham.

The transit agency explains that, "Shifting the route of Yonge Street slightly east will allow more lanes to stay open during construction, helping keep everyone moving. This approach will also help work move forward predictably and reliably so Yonge Street can be restored to its original route after construction is complete."

Metrolinx plans to keep at least two lanes open in each direction, in addition to a centre left-turn lane, throughout the diversion. Temporary closures may impact access to Morgan Avenue and Glen Cameron Road during the diversion.

Work on the diversion roadway is expected to take place over the coming months, though traffic is not expected to be shifted onto the new route until 2028.