Underground and northbound

A subway tunnel is an unusual place to hold an interview unless, of course, you’re conducting a media tour of the Spadina Subway Extension. Joanna Kervin, Third Party, Planning and Property Director (left in photo above) helped lead the media through construction progress on the 8.6-km subway extension on Sept. 9. The first stop was the northbound tunnel, 10 metres below ground between Downsview Park and Finch West Stations. Overall tunnel boring is 85 per cent complete and track installation has started in the twin tunnels between the two stations.

The site visit ended with a track-level view of the station box under construction at the future Vaughan Metropolitan Centre terminal station. The Vaughan structure is the second largest on the project at 530 metres long (or about the length of one CN Tower) including both a crossover and tail track. The station will feature a direct connection to the Viva BRT on Highway 7, a pedestrian tunnel to a new YRT bus terminal and six connection points inside the station to future development sites. Station excavation is complete, and as well as about 30 per cent of the concrete work.

The Spadina Extension is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2016. It will include six stations: Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, Highway 407, Pioneer Village, York University, Finch West and Downsview Park. In September 2012, the TTC Board voted to rename the current Downsview terminal station on the Yonge-University-Spadina Subway to Sheppard West.