Rexy digging the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension has broken through the final wall

One of two twin tunnel boring machines digging the western underground segment of the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension has broken through the final wall.

April 26 – Tunnelling for the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension is a big step closer to completion.

Rexy, one of two twin tunnel boring machines excavating the tunnels for the western underground segment of the route, has reached its destination.

The 750-tonne, 131-metre long machine has broken through the final wall and emerged from the tunnel at the Scarlett Road extraction shaft, where the tunnel boring machines will be disassembled and removed from the ground.

Rexy has spent the last two years carefully excavating one of two 6.3-kilometre tunnels that stretches from Renforth Drive to Scarlett Road, where the future line will come to the surface and transition to an above-ground section.

The Eglinton Crosstown West Extension will bring future Eglinton Crosstown LRT service farther west through York, Etobicoke, and into Mississauga. The project includes seven new stations along a route of 9.2 kilometres.

Rexy’s twin – Renny – is not far behind and will arrive at the extraction shaft in the weeks to come.

Once crews take the TBMs apart in the extraction shaft, they will lift them from the ground piece by piece. Community members can expect more details on how and when they can view this exciting work in the near future.

Rexy and Renny will be retired from work on the project, but there’s still more tunnelling work to come.

Work will continue at the extraction shaft to lay the foundations and form the structure of the future tunnel portal. Work has also started to prepare construction sites for the eastern underground segment of the line that will run from east of Jane Street to Mount Dennis Station.