Eglinton Crosstown West Extension LIVE - April 14, 2021

We have looked at types of construction – cut and cover and types of tunnel boring, which has fewer impacts to utilities, the road and overall timeline.Ultimately our preferred approach is a balance of these issues and reducing construction impacts is a key benefit to tunneling even a short distance. We are looking at tunneling options in the design now with the City of Toronto. Much like the rest of the line the tunnel itself would be routed underneath Eglinton to avoid subsurface impacts to the homes and buildings on either side of the street as much as possible. Tunneling has impacts though, as we know. We will need to build a launch shaft on the far end of the elevated guideway, east of Jane, for the tracks to go back into the ground. We expect to have more to share this year so that residents can provide informed input and understand the challenges and opportunities with the design.
 

There’s been some confusion about the language used in the report and it’s easy to see why. The noise receptors at 75 and 85 Emmett were actually on the southern most corner of the buildings, not the north side. We apologize for any miscommunication. The reference chart in the report that lists the locations does say ‘north’ but that’s about which side of Eglinton the receptor was on, not the location of the receptor on the building itself. It’s worth noting here that we have looked at the impacts based on the preliminary design and we’re not anticipating high levels of noise and vibration in the area. However, the assessments will be updated as the design progresses. If we find that the levels rise and require mitigation, we have a large toolbox of measures to consider including, noise walls, resilient fasteners, floating sections on the tracks etc. The constructor will also need to do more analysis and develop detailed mitigation plans as required. This will be shared with the community for input. It is important to note that construction on the elevated guideway is anticipated to begin in 2025.

If this is in relation to during construction, then we area working with the City of Toronto and TRCA to ensure safe passage at all times. If we have misunderstood, please contact us at [email protected]

The map shows three areas around the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension corridor – the transit corridor lands, an area that extends 10 metres beyond the transit corridor lands, and another area that extends 30 metres beyond the transit corridor lands. For property owners, there is no difference in terms of the conditions that apply to you, whether your property is on transit corridor lands or in the buffer areas. The requirements and reasons for permitting and access are the same and the notice of the designation registered on title applies to properties within transit corridor lands and the buffer areas as well.

If you received a letter notifying you about transit corridor land designation, it does not necessarily mean that we will need to access or acquire your property.

The boundaries for transit corridor lands were set by looking at the existing infrastructure in the area, the route and design of the transit line, and how the project is to be built. Land within 30 metres is close enough to the transit corridor lands that certain objects or activities within those 30 metres may interfere with construction. We want to make sure we’re accounting for future planning and construction decisions without impacting more people than we need to. The 10 metre buffer applies to requirements for utility companies and contractors.

If you’re interested in seeing more of the work that was done to analyze the different options please see the Initial Business Case. The estimated cost of the project based on current plans, from the Initial Business Case is $4.7 billion.

There have been many discussions on how to deliver the project over the years. Last year Metrolinx released a business case which compares a number of options that were considered. This option provides the best balance of ease of local access and the speed of travelling and outperforms all other options in offering the best network connectivity and travel experience for people living and travelling along the corridor. It’s the best option for speed, reliability and making thousands more jobs accessible by transit. It also results in the least impactful construction.

We have looked at types of construction – cut and cover and types of tunnel boring, which has fewer impacts to utilities, the road and overall timeline. Ultimately our preferred approach is a balance of these issues and reducing construction impacts is a key benefit to tunneling for both sections, even a short distance. We are looking at tunneling options in the design now with the City of Toronto. Tunneling has impacts though, as we know. We expect to have more to share this year so that residents can provide informed input and understand the challenges and opportunities with the design.

The key consideration is that the area between Scarlett Road and Jane Street is in an identified flood plain zone. Tunnelling would require building underneath three flood-prone waterways (under the Humber River) and present significant environmental and technical challenges to building and operating the line. Elevating the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension between Scarlett Road and Jane Street eliminates these challenges and will help to prevent potential service disruptions along the corridor during times of heavy rain and flooding.

We will be building a new bridge to carry the elevated guideway over the Humber River. The bridge will be on the north side of the existing bridge. If that doesn’t answer your question please reach out to us direction at [email protected] so we can clarify.

Thank you for your feedback. We appreciate your concerns. We use these engagements to bring the most up to date information to the public for feedback and input. Community feedback has always been an important part of our process and we look forward to sharing more information as the design advances. If you would like to have a call with us please just let us know at [email protected]

Property owners located within the transit corridor lands and the 30m buffer area should have already received a letter from Metrolinx notifying them of this. letter is not a letter of expropriation nor does it necessarily mean that we need to access or acquire any of your property in the future – you will receive separate letters if either situation applies to you. If you have already been in contact with Metrolinx about your property, those discussions will continue.

Many who own or occupy transit corridor lands will likely experience little to no impacts. For others, it may mean a small change to business as usual. If a property owner hasn’t been contacted by Metrolinx yet, it could be for one of two reasons: either the current project plan does not anticipate any impacts to their property, or staff may not be at the stage where they are able to confirm if their property is indeed needed, and it may be confirmed through further design work. We understand that residents and businesses are eager to learn about how their properties will be affected by the project, and we strive to communicate with property owners early and often so that there is ample time to work through solutions.