Wrapping up Spadina Line southern tunnels
26 Mar 2013
Peter Kenyon, TunnelTalk
- Breakthrough at the Downsview reception shaft in Toronto wraps up TBM excavation of the southern tunnels on the Spadina Line Extension in Toronto, Canada.
- Completion of the 1.2km drive from Sheppard West Station for the Aecon/McNally/Kiewit joint venture took place on March 5 (2013), the last of four separate drives that comprised the Can$279 million southern tunnels contract (Fig 1).
- The adjacent tunnel achieved breakthrough in December 2012, while parallel 1.4km drives north between the new Sheppard West Station and Finch West Station were completed in the middle of 2012.
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Spadina Line Extension
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Northern tunnels
Meanwhile the third of six drives that make up the northern tunnels contract is under way following launch of TBM Torkie, one of four Caterpillar TBMs procured by project owner the Toronto Transport Commission (TTC). Torkie set out from the launch shaft at the Highway 407 Station last week (March 18, 2013). Its sister TBM, Yorkie, will launch on a parallel 945m drive towards the reception shaft at Steele's West later in the Spring. - The Can$404.5 million northern tunnel contract (Fig 2) is held by OHL and FCC, with tunnelling approaching 50% complete.
- The 1.7km parallel drives between Steele's West Station and Finch West achieved joint breakthrough in November last year, and following completion of drives 3 and 4 between Highway 407 Station and Steele's West scheduled for later this year the two Caterpillar TBMs on the northern contract will be returned to Highway 407 for their final 1.3km drives northward to Vaughan Metropolitan Centre Station.
- In all four Caterpillar TBMs were procured by the project owner (TTC) to complete 6.7km of twin running tunnels needed for the Can$2.63 billion 8.6km Spadina Line Extension between Vaughan Metropolitan Centre and the existing Downsview Station at the south of the alignment.
- Aside from the tunnels the project also comprises construction of four separate cut and cover station contracts; Finch West, Vaughan, Steele's West and York University.
- The Spadina Line extension is one of several transit expansion projects planned by the City of Toronto to bring public rail transport to a wider service area. Both the Eglinton Crosstown LRT project, currently in the early phases of construction, and the 6.8km Yonge Subway Extension, include extensive sections of bored running tunnels and underground stations. The Spadina Line Extension, as the first of these projects, is expected to open late 2015.
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Tunnelling on Spadina Extension to commence in Toronto - TunnelTalk, May 2011
First tunnel award for Toronto Crosstown LRT - TunnelTalk, September 2012
Extra tunnels for Toronto Crosstown LRT - TunnelTalk, January 2013
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