Eglinton Crosstown completion, Ontario Line groundbreaking among 2022 Toronto transit plans

When it comes to the year ahead as it relates to Toronto transit, 2022 will mark the highly anticipated completion of the 11-year Eglinton Crosstown LRT construction project — one that has dealt with a variety of delays and issues.

With respect to expanding the city’s network of subways and LRT lines, there are signs of progress. However, there are also questions about the ultimate timelines, and the fate of, certain transit initiatives.

CityNews contacted Metrolinx, the provincial transportation agency that oversees GO Transit, UP Express and major regional rapid transit planning and construction projects, to get updates on various signature projects in Toronto.

Here’s what commuters and residents can expect to see in 2022:

Eglinton Crosstown LRT

Construction of the 25-stop, 19-kilometre Eglinton Crosstown LRT began under the previous provincial Liberal government in 2011. The line was supposed to be open by 2021.

“The end is in sight for the construction of the Eglinton Crosstown … all the blocks are in place for testing and commissioning,” Paul Manhire, the executive vice-president of rapid transit implementation for Metrolinx told CityNews on Tuesday.

The line will run between Mount Dennis (just west of Black Creek Drive) in Toronto’s west end and Kennedy subway station in Scarborough. Officials said it’s estimated the line, which runs underground between just east of Black Creek Drive and west of Leslie Avenue and on a dedicated right-of-way above ground in other segments, could cut travel times by up to 60 per cent compared to buses on the corridor.

In the lead-up to the introduction of service on the Eglinton-Crosstown, which is expected to be in the latter part of the year, Metrolinx staff said testing will expand along the course of the route.

As of January, Keelesdale, Mount Dennis and Science Centre stations were expected to be finished first and landscaping at stations will follow.

RELATED: Small businesses along the Eglinton Crosstown corridor petition for financial help

Throughout the course of the project, business owners said traffic lane closures have impacted their business.

“I would say thank you (to them) … I understand the impact that this project has on the communities. But what I will say is the wait will be worth it. The Eglinton Crosstown is a world-class project that will bring economic benefits and improve the quality of life,” Manhire said when asked what he would say to those who have been affected, calling it one of the biggest and most complex transit projects in North America.

He said the western end of the line is closer to the finish line compared to the centre portion near Yonge Street as well as Mount Pleasant and Avenue roads, adding these are the deepest stations. Manhire said decayed infrastructure at Yonge and Eglinton at the current subway station set the project back.

Officials said lane blockages are going to end progressively throughout the year and segments will be repaved. Also, 11 kilometres of bike lanes roughly between Weston and Kennedy roads will be added.

With respect to the Eglinton Crosstown West, a planned extension of the Eglinton Crosstown to MiWay’s Renforth station in Mississauga from Mount Dennis station introduced by the current PC government, tunnelling is expected to begin at the western end of the line during 2022. The estimated completion date is in either 2030 or 2031.

Finch West LRT

Major construction of the 18-stop, 11-kilometre Finch West LRT began under the current PC government in 2019 but the project was announced by the previous Liberal government.

The line will run between Humber College on Highway 27 in the west and Finch West subway station at Keele Street and Finch Avenue West along a dedicated right-of-way above ground.

Construction of the station buildings at Humber College and Finch West will begin in 2022. Along the Finch Avenue West corridor, road widening, track installation, sewer replacement, track power line pole installation and the building of the line’s stops will all continue.

RELATED: Jane and Finch residents rally to demand Metrolinx honour promise of land for community hub

Manhire said reduced road traffic during parts of the COVID-19 pandemic allowed crews to work quicker at preparing the area.

The line’s train storage facility is expected to be largely completed by the end of 2022 with train deliveries occurring during the year. Officials also said trains will begin rolling out of the yard and onto a dedicated portion of the line for testing.

In 2020, there were concerns in the community a land donation for a community hub wouldn’t occur. But in 2021 the PC government confirmed the donation would go ahead.

The Finch West LRT project is expected to be completed sometime in 2023.

Ontario Line

The Ontario Line, a new 15-kilometre, 15-stop subway line first unveiled in 2019 by the PC government, is slated to connect Exhibition Place in downtown to the Ontario Science Centre in North York through downtown, East York and Thorncliffe Park.

It’s expected a groundbreaking will be held at Exhibition GO station, which serves as the southern terminus, at some point during 2022.

Meanwhile, officials said planning and pre-construction work will occur at various areas along the line. It’s also expected contracts will be issued for the line’s trains, systems, storage and maintenance, as well as a contract for stations and tunnels in the southern part of the line.

Scarborough subway extension

The Scarborough subway extension, a three-stop, eight-kilometre extension of the TTC’s Line 2 Bloor-Danforth subway initiated by the current PC government, is slated to connect the current eastern end at Kennedy station to a new station at McCowan Road and Sheppard Avenue East. There will also be stops on McCowan Road at Lawrence Avenue East and Scarborough Town Centre.

Officials said tunnel boring will begin at Sheppard Avenue East sometime during the spring. The machine arrived in December.

RELATED: TTC board approves shutting down Scarborough RT in 2023

They also said contracts for stations, systems are expected to be finalized by the end of the year. The extension is expected to be done by 2029 or 2030.

Meanwhile, at the municipal level, the TTC board is expected to debate the fate of the Scarborough RT line property when the line is slated for closure in 2023 due to operational constraints.

Yonge North subway extension

Work “behind-the-scenes” is set to take place at Finch station on Line 1 to prepare the area for when the Yonge North subway extension occurs.

Introduced by the PC government, the extension is set to bring Yonge line trains to the Langstaff GO station area in Richmond Hill by the end of the decade.