Contract awarded for the Yonge North Subway Extension advance tunnelling project

Infrastructure Ontario and Metrolinx have awarded a fixed-price contract of $1.44 billion to North End Connectors to design, build and finance the advance tunnelling project for the Yonge North Subway Extension. The twin 6.3-kilometre tunnels will run from Finch Station on TTC Line 1 to south of Langstaff Road in Markham.

“The Yonge North Subway Extension is a critical part of our $70 billion investment to build public transit in communities across Ontario,” said Premier Doug Ford. “As we get shovels in the ground on this critical project, we’re helping keep thousands of workers on the job and we’re building the infrastructure that will boost Ontario’s economy and help thousands of York Region commuters get where they need to go faster and more conveniently.”

The North End Connectors team includes:

• Leads: Aecon Infrastructure Management Inc., Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas Canada Ltd., Ghella Canada Ltd.
• Construction: Aecon Infrastructure Management Inc., Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas Canada Ltd., Ghella Canada Ltd.
• Design: EXP Services Inc., TYPSA Inc.
• Financial Advisor: National Bank Financial, Aecon Concessions, Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas Canada Ltd, Ghella Investments & Partnerships SpA.

“This transformative subway extension will improve access to transit for local residents, reduce travel times, support economic growth, and help to meet the needs of growing populations along the alignment,” said Jean-Louis Servranckx, president and CEO, Aecon Group Inc.

Early works for the project are well underway and major construction will begin once design work is complete.

The scope of work for the project includes:

• Approximately 6.3 kilometres of tunnelling for the approximately eight-kilometre extension.
• Tunnelled route: North along Yonge Street from Finch Station, curving east along Bay Thorn Drive to south of Langstaff Road.
• Design and construction of launch and extraction shafts, twin tunnels, headwalls for emergency exit buildings and stations, and support of excavation for emergency exit buildings.
• Procurement and installation of tunnel boring machines and precast concrete tunnel liners.

“With this contract award, we are setting the stage for major construction on the Yonge North Subway Extension. This project will extend TTC Line 1 subway service further north into York Region and create connections to the GO and Viva transit networks. That means faster, more convenient travel — and less traffic on busy roadways all over the region. I’m encouraged by the collaboration across all levels of government that’s helped build momentum behind this project and I’m excited for what it means for the future of transit in York Region and Toronto,” said Michael Lindsay, president and CEO of Metrolinx.

Following completion of the design, major tunnelling will begin along with a separate procurement to build the extension’s stations, rail and systems. With recent upgrades at Finch Station now complete to make it easier to connect the existing Line 1 service to the future subway extension, other preparatory work such as utility relocations are now underway.

“Today, we’re taking a major step forward as we build the Yonge North Subway Extension, revolutionizing travel across the region and extending subway access to Vaughan, Markham and Richmond Hill for the first time,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation. “In the face of economic uncertainty and U.S. tariffs that continue to target workers and businesses across the province, we are protecting Ontario’s economy by building the next generation of subway service that will connect Ontarians to thousands of good paying jobs and housing for years to come.”

The Yonge North Subway Extension will put 26,000 more people within a 10-minute walk of transit and will reduce daily travel times by up to 22 minutes on a trip from Markham to downtown Toronto.

“Infrastructure Ontario is proud to be a part of making the Yonge North Subway Extension a reality with the contract award for the Advance Tunnel portion of this crucial transit project. This subway extension, connecting Toronto and York Region and travelling through the cities of Richmond Hill, Vaughan, Markham and Toronto, will support a connected GTA with fast and efficient transit,” said Angela Clayton, president and CEO, Infrastructure Ontario.

Featured image: (Government of Ontario)