Crew stands at bottom of a large pit.
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Toronto proud – Remarkable images capture Crosstown transit workers marking historic moments for light rail transit route

Iconic new pictures show continued life and progress below – and above – the light rail transit system.

Perhaps it’s the times.

Including the isolation most of us have been living and working in.

But while we regularly bring you the latest pictures from construction of the Eglinton Crosstown light rail transit (LRT) line, these new ones seem rather iconic – especially one from Fairbank Station of proud crews who have continued to put in the work to keep reaching milestones.

Crew stands at bottom of a large pit.
A big advance for Fairbank Station, as the team completed excavation. Now, they shift their focus to pouring a foundation and building up to roof level. (Metrolinx photo)

For these men and women, progress continues while most of us have stopped, because Toronto will count on the Crosstown LRT route after families and communities return to regular outings.

That includes below a city that has dramatically slowed down for the moment. Take a look at this picture from Mt. Pleasant, as the team prepares to break through for the final section of station excavation.

Image shows a worker in a tunnel.
At Mt. Pleasant, the Crosstown tunnels gain strength from their cohesive shape – prior to demolishing the section that will house the station platform, the surrounding sections need to be backfilled or supported to maintain their structure.(Metrolinx photo)

And at Caledonia Station, work is also moving ahead at an impressive pace – in a space few get to see, especially during a social lock-down.

Inside a large concrete area.
Caledonia Station continues to take shape, with roof pours and interior masonry work slated to begin shortly. (Metrolinx photo)

Crosstown images are often dramatic because they’re big and involve moving through, in some sections, the Earth. But for those working for Crosslinx Transit Solutions – Metrolinx’s builders on the project – these days offer an even more powerful reason to see progress as historical.