The Yonge North Subway Extension (YNSE) is a long-awaited project that will bring faster transit to more people across York Region and Toronto. It will extend TTC's Line 1 (Yonge University) roughly 7.4 km north from Finch Station to a terminus at Richmond Hill. It will have four new stops along the way that will serve North York, Markham, Richmond Hill and Vaughan.
The subway tunnels will follow a route that travels mostly under Bay Thorn Drive. wherever possible once they turn east from Yonge Street to connect with the rail corridor. The tunnels below the Royal Orchard neighbourhood will be at a minimum depth of 21 metres and as deep as 50 metres below the surface.
Updated environmental studies and the search for teams to build new subway tunnels are signs that the pace of progress on this new transit project is dialing up another notch in 2022. The finishing touches are being put on a draft of updated environmental studies for the extension.
Updated environmental studies
Experts are preparing an addendum to the project’s Environmental Project Report (EPR, for short) that assesses any changes since previous environmental studies were done in 2009 and 2014. The EPR addendum evaluates the latest updates to the Yonge North Subway Extension, including changes to the northern segment of the route, and suggests ways any potential impacts of construction and operation of the extension could be managed.
Metrolinx will share the draft EPR addendum in the weeks to come and reach out to communities along the route for feedback on the report through virtual open houses and a dedicated forum on Metrolinx Engage. That feedback, along with the findings of the environmental studies, will be used to prepare a final report later this year.
Early upgrades at Finch Station
Important progress was made in 2021, like sharing updated plans for the project and confirming Clark Station as the fourth stop on the line. Metrolinx also started the search for teams to work on Finch Station as part of upgrades that will get the station ready to connect Line 1 service to the new subway extension. The successful team will be brought on board later this year, with main construction set to begin on the so-called ‘early works’ in 2023.
The Yonge North Subway Extension will get closer to welcoming its own TBMs this year by issuing a ‘Request for Qualifications’ for experts interested in building the tunnels that will extend north from Finch Station to York Region. Construction on this part of the project is currently tracking for 2023. Click ca/30 for the tunnelbuilder archive. Visit https://www.metrolinx.com/ and https://blog.metrolinx.com. 05/22.
