On September 22 2009, the Simcoe Street tunnel in Toronto’s busy entertainment district was officially opened by Councilor Adam Vaughan. Morrison Hershfield provided project management services, acting as designer, contract administrator and site engineer on the project.
The 75m long rail over road grade separation serves many needs. It has already proven to be a popular route for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians as they use the three new traffic lanes, two bicycle lanes and two extra wide sidewalks to pass under 13 rail tracks. Further adding to the complexity, the entire structure is situated beneath a pedestrian skywalk. Numerous railway trestles used during construction allowed for uninterrupted rail service and concurrent railway corridor plant rehabilitation in this busy and constrained urban setting. Massive 61.5 tonne solid reinforced concrete box girders were match-cast on site, stressed and deftly maneuvered into position on weekends.
The benefits of the new tunnel were outlined in a recent City of Toronto news release. It said in part:
“The Simcoe Street underpass will improve downtown traffic flow and help provide important services to future development on the lands south of Union Station,” said Mayor David Miller. “But, most importantly, the project will improve access to our waterfront for all Torontonians.”