The Ontario government has commenced tunnelling on the final segment of the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension, marking a significant milestone in expanding rapid transit in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

The nine-kilometre extension will add seven new stations, linking the Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit (LRT) to areas from Scarborough to Mississauga.

Eglinton Crosstown West Extension

© Infrastructure Ontario

Construction crews have now commenced work on the last underground section of the extension, excavating twin 500-metre tunnels between Jane Street and the future Mount Dennis Station.

The tunnelling is being completed using the sequential excavation method, which progresses at a rate of one to two metres per day.

Once completed, the extension will bring more than 37,500 people within a 10-minute walk of the LRT network. It also cut travel times between key locations—such as Yonge and Eglinton and Square One in Mississauga—by up to 24 minutes per trip.

The extension will further strengthen transit connections across the region by linking passengers to services such as GO Transit, TTC, MiWay and UP Express. Riders will benefit from the province’s “One Fare” policy, which eliminates transfer costs between different transit agencies.

In total, 32 stations will form the full Eglinton Crosstown route once the extension is complete.

Michael Lindsay, Interim President and CEO, Metrolinx said:

It’s exciting to see so much progress being made on the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension, which will extend Line 5 Eglinton by another 9.2 kilometres, ultimately creating a rapid transit line that will run from Mississauga all the way to Scarborough, bringing thousands of people closer to transit.

Notably, the project is supporting over 4,500 jobs during construction, ranging from engineering to heavy equipment operation.

Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation said:

Premier Ford and our government have a plan to tackle gridlock and shorten commutes for drivers and public transit users in the Greater Toronto Area. As President Trump’s tariffs continue to threaten Ontario workers and our economy, it has never been more important to invest in transportation infrastructure. We will do whatever it takes to protect Ontario jobs and build for the future.

The Eglinton Crosstown West Extension forms part of a broader 70 billion CAD investment by the Ontario government in public transit over the next decade. This includes major undertakings such as the Ontario Line, the Scarborough Subway Extension and the Yonge North Subway Extension.

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