Canada: Contract Awarded for Yonge North Subway Extension Tunnelling

Infrastructure Ontario and Metrolinx have awarded a 1.4 billion CAD contract to North End Connectors for the advance tunnelling component of the Yonge North Subway Extension.

The project involves the design, construction, and financing of twin tunnels stretching 6.3 kilometres from Finch Station on Toronto Transit Commission’s Line 1 to a location just south of Langstaff Road in Markham. The remainder of the extension will continue at surface level.

The contract is being delivered through a Design-Build-Finance model under Infrastructure Ontario’s public-private partnership framework. The procurement process was open, competitive, and included oversight from a third-party fairness advisor.

The North End Connectors consortium includes:

• Applicant Leads and Construction Partners: Aecon Infrastructure Management Inc., Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas Canada Ltd., and Ghella Canada Ltd.
• Design: EXP Services Inc. and TYPSA Inc.
• Financial Advisory: National Bank Financial, Aecon Concessions, FCC Canada Ltd., and Ghella Investments & Partnerships SpA.

The scope of work includes:

• Construction of 6.3 kilometres of twin tunnels as part of the approximately eight-kilometre extension
• Tunnelling from Finch Station north along Yonge Street, curving east beneath Bay Thorn Drive to south of Langstaff Road
• Design and construction of launch and extraction shafts, station and emergency exit headwalls, and associated excavation support
• Procurement and installation of tunnel boring machines (TBMs) and precast concrete tunnel liners

Preliminary works are already in progress, with major construction expected to begin following the completion of the design phase.