Dennis and Lea to be unleashed as Eglinton LRT advances
Posted April 15, 2015 10:37 pm.
Last Updated April 15, 2015 10:40 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Giant boring machines, Dennis and Lea, will be unleashed from the ground this weekend.
Named after Mount Dennis and Leaside neighbourhoods, the two tunnel boring machines, which are part of creating the new Eglinton Crosstown LRT, weigh 511,000 kg and are about 81 metres long.
These monstrous machines will be removed from the ground and transferred from one tunnel to another as the transit project enters its next phase.
Dennis and Lea currently rest about 35 metres underground at the west side of Eglinton and will find their new home on the east side of Eglinton.
Each machine takes approximately four-hours to move.
“Considering the size and the volume, this is fairly fast. One weekend to get both machines moved,” says Jack Collins of Metrolinx.
Officials said most of the moving will occur between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. on Sunday morning.
Bleachers will be set up for the public to watch the monumental uncovering.
This next phase of construction for the $5 billion, 19 kilometre Eglinton LRT will result in Allen Road being shut down all weekend long, meaning for some it’s another painful day of construction and sitting in traffic.
“We don’t have any walk by business anymore, unfortunately,” said local business owner Giuseppe Alpinelli. “It’s a little difficult as a destination for your regular clients as well.”
Alpinelli said that over the last four years there has been a decrease of anywhere between 30 to 40 per cent in sales.
“We understand that this work is disruptive,” said transportation minister Steven Del Duca.
Del Duca added that the appetite for more of these kinds of large scale investments in infrastructure are wanted and needed.
One business owner is trying to make the best of all the construction.
“I figured to think outside the box and tried to bring in a little bit more business any way I could,” said Joey Catania.
He changed part of his salon into a cafe to entice prospecting customers and said as long as they don’t completely fence him in completely, he should be “OK.”
The entire project is expected to be finished until 2020.
For more information visit the Eglinton Crosstown LRT website.
