The four Caterpillar TBMs working for the Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension bore an average of 15 m/day. Holey and Moley are building all of the tunnels south of Finch West Station, the southern tunnels, while Yorkie and Torkie are building all of the tunnels north of Finch West Station, or the northern tunnels.
On November 29, 2012 the TBMs Yorkie and Torkie completed a rare double breakthrough at the Keele Street extraction shaft at the just north of Murray Ross Parkway. Yorkie began the first northern tunnel drive from the Steeles West Station launch shaft in December, 2011. Torkie began tunnelling in February, 2012. Each of the two tunnel drives was 1,660 m-long and approximately 2,225 tunnel rings were placed. The TBMs, after disassembling, will be transported up to the Highway 407 launch shaft where they will commence boring the remaining northern tunnels, toward the Steeles West Station extraction site.
The TBM Holey broke through the headwall at the Keele Street extraction shaft on 01.05.2012. A little more than a month later, TBM Moley joined Holey and completed the adjacent twin tunnel, breaking through on 04.06.2012. Holey and Moley completed in total 1.6 km of twin tunnels. This breakthrough marks the first major step toward the extension of the Yonge-University-Spadina Subway line through York University and the City of Vaughan. During Summer, 2012 Holey and Moley were disassembled and moved to the next launch shaft at the east end of Sheppard West Station, where they started to drive the 1.2 km southern tunnels east toward Downsview Station.
On 07.12.2012 TBM Holey broke through the headwall at the final destination extraction shaft located on the east side of W.R. Allen Road, just north of Downsview Station.
On 09.01.2013 TBM Moley completed crossing under Kodiak Crescent, tunnelling 919 m to date with 610 rings installed. Moley is scheduled to arrive at the Downsview extraction shaft later this month.
The 8.6 km Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension will stop at the new stations of Sheppard West, Finch West, York University, Steeles West, Highway 407 and Vaughan Metropolitan Centre (north of Highway 7). Opening of the extension is anticipated for the end of 2015. Click here and ca/30 for tunnelbuilder archive. Visit http://www3.ttc.ca/Spadina/index.jsp. 04/13
