TORONTO — The Ontario government has completed excavation of the tunnel launch shaft for the Yonge North Subway Extension, clearing the way for tunnel boring machines to begin digging twin tunnels later this year.The project will extend the TTC’s Line 1 subway nearly eight kilometres north from Finch Station into Vaughan, Markham and Richmond Hill. Officials say it will serve more than 94,000 daily riders and put nearly 23,000 jobs within walking distance of transit.Crews removed almost 70,000 cubic metres of soil to create the 10-metre-deep launch shaft. The structure required 11,000 cubic metres of concrete and 860 tonnes of steel reinforcement. Two tunnel boring machines will use the shaft to excavate the 6.3-kilometre twin tunnels.Five new stations are planned: Steeles, Clark, Royal Orchard, Bridge and High Tech. Bridge Station is intended as a transit hub linking to GO train and bus services.The province has issued a request for proposals for the design and construction of stations, tracks and related systems. Utility relocation is underway ahead of further work..Construction is projected to support 4,300 jobs annually year and generate more than $3.6 billion in economic benefits. The extension is expected to cut personal vehicle travel by 7,700 kilometres during rush hour and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 4,800 tonnes annually.“Our government is making historic investments in public transit to protect Ontario’s economy and keep people moving in the face of tariffs and economic uncertainty,” said Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria.Federal funding for the project totals $2.24 billion. Ontario has committed $70 billion overall to what it describes as the largest transit expansion in North America, including the Ontario Line, Scarborough Subway Extension and Eglinton Crosstown West Extension..Vaughan Mayor Steven Del Duca called the milestone important for fighting gridlock and delivering a second subway line to the city. Richmond Hill Mayor David West said it advances a decades-long push for subway service into York Region.The Yonge North work is occurring as the province also advances other expansions, including recent groundbreaking on the Grimsby GO Station as part of Lakeshore West service into Niagara.Multiple Progressive Conservative MPPs and industry groups, including the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and Canadian Urban Transit Association, welcomed the progress.The project builds on a September 2024 Agreement-in-Principle between Ontario and York Region.
