The elevated guideway project, part of the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension (ECWE), is beginning to take shape.
The ECWE will operate underground from Renforth Drive to just west of Scarlett Road and will then transition to a 1.5-kilometre elevated guideway that will run to east of Jane Street, along the north side of Eglinton Avenue West, crossing the Humber River. It then goes underground again and connects to the future Mount Dennis Station.
“Work has already started to prepare the construction sites and an updated target completion date for the extension will be provided once the procurement process for the project is complete,” said a Metrolinx spokesperson in an email to the Daily Commercial News.
The elevated guideway will form a section of the 9.2-kilometre extension of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT line, which will run from Mount Dennis Station in the east to Renforth Drive in the west. Two of the seven stations on the extension will be located on the guideway: Scarlett and Jane-Eglinton.
“Building the guideway is the next critical phase towards delivering the project, with the west tunnelled section from Renforth Drive to Scarlett Road having been recently completed,” the spokesperson stated. “The work under the elevated guideway contract will be focused on the structure of the guideway, including the bridge deck, piers and foundations and connections to the tunnel portals at either end of the guideway.”
The $290 million design-build contract for the elevated guideway was awarded by the Ontario government to Aecon Infrastructure Management Inc. in December 2023.
At the end of March, Entuitive revealed its scope of work as the prime design management consultant for the guideway project. The design partnership is with Consor and Typsa, selected by Aecon. Entuitive is also providing a suite of services for the project including design management, bridge engineering, construction engineering, and sustainability consulting.
According to Metrolinx, the Humber River is an identified flood plain zone that has experienced historic levels of flooding which poses unique challenges to building underground infrastructure in the area and could have operational and structural risks once the line is running. Elevating the line on a bridge is the best way to provide safe, reliable service for commuters.
“The elevated guideway is similar to a bridge, and we can draw on extensive experience in how to manage inclement weather to keep traffic and transit moving safely,” the spokesperson stated.
“The project is being designed to ensure there will be no increased risk of flooding along the route while it is under construction and after it goes into service. Plans are being informed by detailed environmental studies and we are working with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority to make sure designs meet guidelines for managing stormwater runoff.”
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