News

:

, ,

Eglinton LRT reaches milestone with railway completion in 10th year of construction

A line of subway stops on a white and grey background
The proposed Eglinton LRT line will run from Toronto's west to east end, hoping to transport 15,000 commuters per day upon completion. Photo courtesy of Metrolinx.
Daniel Centeno - CJRU - Toronto • ON | 03-11-2021
Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on linkedin
Share on pinterest
Share on email
Share on print

Metrolinx announced the completion of the track for the Eglinton light rail train, known as the Eglinton LRT project.

Track workers celebrated the milestone by installing a gold plated final clip on the track and a photo that recreated the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway.

The announcement was followed with a first-hand look for the public of the LRT's underground portion, shown in a published short video on the Metrolinx website.

A black and white photo on the left and a new one on the right. Both photos show two men hitting a rail.

To commerate the completion of the Eglinton LRT's railway, workers recreated a photo of the Canadian Pacific Railway being completed. Photo courtesy of Metrolinx.

In a blog post on the website, Communications Senior Advisor Erica D’Urbano wrote:

"The last clip was installed at Eglinton Station, located at the intersection of Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue. Just to make the moment extra special, the last clip was painted gold. With that last clip, all of the tracks along the 19-kilometre LRT line are now in place between Mount Dennis station in the west and Kennedy station in the east."

Further, D'Urbano writes that light rail vehicles will be tested on the entire line, and installations for the catenary system, including wires and communications systems, will continue into 2022.

"While it’s not quite the same as finishing a cross-country railroad, this week’s milestone is a big step towards completing Toronto’s newest rapid transit line – one that will benefit the next generation of transit riders across the region,” she writes.

Mixed reactions from the public

While the LRT hopes to alleviate pressure on the Toronto Transit Commission's (TTC) main subway lines, the project continues to garner mixed reactions from residents and communities.

Delays and closures along busy areas on the Egliton stretch have caused more traffic in the city, and local businesses have voiced concerns over reduced foot traffic, which was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of the most affected communities is Toronto’s Little Jamaica in the Eglinton west area.

About 140 businesses have closed since the start of the LRT construction in 2011, according to a 2020 business conversations report by Black Urbanism Toronto. Noise, blockades and inaccessibility were factors leading to the loss of business in the report.

The York-Eglinton BIA reported that only 47 of 186 businesses were deemed essential in the area during the city’s lockdowns, when in-person shopping was prohibited.

Also, Cycle Toronto, an advocacy group for the safety of cylicsts in the city, launched a pledge demanding guarded bike lanes along Eglinton once construction is complete. The pledge is called Move 365: Eglinton for Everyone.

The LRT has been under construction for more than ten years, and the cost has been about $5.3 billion so far.

More details to follow.

Listen to the CJRU news update here:  

Download Audio