Projects Eglinton Crosstown Taking the fast track through the heart of Toronto Light rail transit projects dont come much more demanding than Eglinton Crosstown LRT. Viewpoint found out how SNCLavalin and its design, construction and maintenance partners are delivering against an aggressive timeline on the biggest public transport project Toronto has seen for many years WORDS A NDREW BENNETT T hree millimetres isnt much leeway at the best of times. But, to illustrate the precision required on the Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit (LRT) project, this is the maximum amount of settlement allowed when the construction teams tunnel under two existing subway lines in Toronto and tie the new line into three interchange stations. The demand for minimal disruption means existing lines must be able to continue running passenger services most of the time while construction workers build the new 19km-long line, which will feature 15 underground stations and 10 stops at surface (grade) level. Eglinton is a cornerstone in Metrolinxs 20-year masterplan known as the Big Move to expand public transit across the region and attract new passengers. Building this major transport artery, which will open to passengers in 2021, includes constructing robust station boxes typically around 120 metres long and spanning nearly the full width of a street. This is especially challenging within a busy, working city. Digging down deep Engineers and constructors are using a variety of technical solutions for excavating and building the station boxes, which will span traffic intersections and require dense arrays of existing utilities to be accommodated. The road corridor above the underground stations is wellestablished, so the traffic must keep flowing as teams dig down, shore up the ground around the station boxes, and build the stations. At one location, special track work has been required on either side of the station box. A typical 120-metre box has become a 486-metre underground cavern while the general public continue their business above and alongside it. The station boxes will take up to three years to construct. Eglinton is Canadas largest P3 public transit project building on the experiences of the Confederation Line in Ottawa here and is a collaboration between three of the same four joint venture partners. The partners each with a 25% stake are SNC-Lavalin, EllisDon, ACS/Dragados and Aecon. Metrolinx video, including footage of the Eglinton Crosstown project Complex requirements Construction work started in spring 2016. The project execution phase started in July 2015, after a gruelling 18-month bid phase, during which the design team had to submit more than 4,500 drawings because of the complexity of the project and the requirements of the client, Metrolinx. The LRT line will be able to accommodate 15,000 passengers per hour, per direction, who will ride in Bombardier Flexity Freedom vehicles. It will be the first time these trains have been used both below and above the surface on a single transit system. Another hugely challenging aspect of the project is the systems integration required to make the vehicles revenue ready for operation. The vehicles will also run in a variety of driving modes throughout their journeys, including fully automated, making this part of the project one of the most challenging in North America. The contract duration is 30 years and includes maintenance of the vehicle fleet which will be carried out at a specially constructed new facility and infrastructure upkeep. The overall value of the Eglinton LRT project is Can$9.3bn, which includes Can$5bn to build the LRT and the remainder to maintain it for 30 years. Chris McCarthy, Design Director for the design and engineering aspects of the project, said: At SNC-Lavalin, we understand mega projects in terms of their financing, design, procurement, construction and Operations & Maintenance. This is an excellent, but challenging, project, and there will be tremendous satisfaction for the entire team to see the project realised. viewpoint@snclavalin.com snclavalin.com Eglinton Crosstown LRT is Canadas largest P3 public transit project, and builds on the experiences of the Confederation Line Chris McCarthy Design Director