Today, the Government of Canada celebrated continued progress on the construction of the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension. Excavation work has officially started on four new underground stations along Eglinton Avenue West at Martin Grove Road, Kipling Avenue, Islington Avenue and Royal York Road.
Work includes building the station boxes, which are the underground structures that make up the main body of the station. Construction will strengthen Ontario's economy by supporting 4,600 jobs annually from engineers to construction workers and heavy equipment operators. Once complete, the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension will bring the Eglinton Crosstown LRT 9.2 kilometres farther west, creating nearly 30 kilometres of rapid transit along Eglinton Avenue, linking Scarborough, midtown Toronto and Mississauga into a single continuous transit line. When combined with the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, it will save passengers up to 24 minutes per trip between Toronto's Yonge and Eglinton to Mississauga's Square One.
The Government of Canada is investing approximately $1.87 billion in the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension, part of nearly $10.4 billion being invested by the federal government in Toronto's new major transit projects. The Government of Ontario is leading the project's construction through Metrolinx.
The Honourable John Zerucelli, Secretary of State for Labour and Member of Parliament for Etobicoke North, joined the Honourable Doug Ford, Premier of the Province of Ontario, the Honourable Prabmeet Sarkaria, Ontario's Minister of Transportation, and Her Worship Olivia Chow, Mayor of the City of Toronto, to celebrate the partnership and mark continued progress on this important project.
