Toronto hints that the Eglinton Crosstown LRT could finally open this summer
The long-overdue Eglinton Crosstown LRT might finally enter service as the TTC’s Line 5 this summer, according to a vague hint included in a recent city report.
An updated report on the City’s eglintonTOday Complete Street Project reveals that the frustrating surface workĀ related to the line’s protracted construction timeline will finally come to an end this summer.
Drivers rejoice.
But buried deep within the plan for the streetscape improvement project is a very curious passageĀ that, depending on how you choose to interpret it, could meanĀ the Crosstown’s opening is just months away.
“According to Metrolinx, construction-related activities and equipment on the roadway will be removed by the end of April 2023, with the exception of Cedarvale Station and the section between Avenue Road and Yonge Street, which are anticipated to be completed in the summer of 2023,” reads a section outlining the EglintonTOday Complete Street Project’s next steps.
That could be interpreted as an admission that the line could finally enter service by summer, but Metrolinx representatives were unable to confirm or deny the suspicion when approached for comment on what is expected to be completed by this fast-approaching window of time.
Even if this is interpreted merely as the conclusion of surface-level construction, the admission that Eglinton Avenue could finally be clear of obstructions by summer is massive news for midtown residents, who have had to contend with disruptions along the arterial for well over a decade now.
It’s a change locals have already noticed around intersections like Mt. Pleasant and Eglinton, one of the few major cross-streets that have recently been restored to their pre-construction configurations with the removal of construction gear and lane closures.
The Crosstown line has developed an almost cursed reputation for its undelivered promises since starting construction all the way back in 2011 with an expected 2020 opening.
A series of delays has bumped the project timeline back along the way, including the most recent missed deadline in 2022 and a vague promise of a 2023 opening.
Whether that opening is finally on the horizon remains up in the air, no matter who you ask.
Even just a few months ago, Toronto Mayor John Tory admitted he had no way of knowing when the line would actually open in what is starting to feel like a culture of intentional vagueness so as not to set and miss another hard deadline.
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