One of two twin TBMs digging the western underground segment of Toronto’s Eglinton Crosstown West Extension has broken through the final wall.

The 750-tonne, 131m-long machine completed the journey at the Scarlett Road extraction shaft, where both TBMs will be disassembled and removed from the ground.

TBM Rexy has spent the past two years digging one of two 6.3km tunnels that stretches from Renforth Drive to Scarlett Road, where the future line will come to the surface and transition to an above ground section.

PHOTO: Metrolinx

The 9.2km Eglinton Crosstown West Extension will bring the future Eglington Crosstown LRT service further west through York, Etobicoke, and into Mississauga. The project includes seven new stations.

Rexy’s twin – TBM Renny – is not far behind and will arrive at the extraction shaft in the coming weeks.

West End Connectors, a consortium of Aecon, Dragados and Ghella, was awarded the Advance Tunnel contract in 2021 and launched the two TBMs in 2022.

Meanwhile work will continue at the extraction shaft to lay the foundations and form the structure of the future tunnel portal.

Work has also started to prepare construction sites for the eastern underground segment of the line that will run from east of Jane Street to Mount Dennis Station.

In February this year, Strabag was awarded the Advance Tunnel 2 contract to design, build and finance this section. The contract includes a 500m tunnel from east of Jane Street to Mount Dennis Station.