TTC to complete vital tunnel upgrades and asbestos removal on Line 1 between St George and St Andrew stations

Beginning on Mon., May 17, the TTC will once again take advantage of continued low ridership and close the portion of Line 1 between St George and St Andrew stations. The closure will last 10 days and will allow crews to carry out tunnel lining repairs, asbestos removal, power cable removal and repair and station cleaning.

This will be the final 10-day closure in this section of the downtown "U". The completion of this work will allow the TTC to eliminate between 75-100 planned weekend closures over the next few years, significantly reducing disruptions and customer inconvenience. Customers who travel along the impacted part of Line 1 were surveyed during the previous two closures and the vast majority are supportive of the TTC's approach.

"The City is committed to investing in the TTC and making vital upgrades to our existing transit system as quickly as possible. I want to thank the TTC and all its employees for working throughout the pandemic to get as much of this work done as possible while ridership is low," said Mayor John Tory. "Getting harmful asbestos removed, tunnel linings repaired, power cables repaired and stations cleaned now will make sure our system is ready to welcome back more riders as the pandemic comes to an end."

"The TTC is continuing to make significant progress on major state-of-good-repair projects while ridership remains low due to ongoing COVID-19 public health restrictions. These closures will allow us to rapidly accelerate necessary capital work in a condensed timeframe, saving riders years of future disruption," said TTC Chair Jaye Robinson.

"We've taken a different approach to some of our most critical state-of-good repair work and, as a result, we've made significant progress," said TTC CEO Rick Leary. "With the completion of this series of closures, we will have accomplished 18 months of work in three weeks and saved customers travelling in this area, a two-year-long inconvenience. I want to thank all our customers for their patience and everyone at the TTC who worked hard to make this work happen and improve the subway system for our great city."

During the closure, customers can expect shuttle bus service every 60 seconds or better during peak periods and very consistent service to continue throughout the day. Service levels have been designed based on current customer volumes. Designated pick-up and drop-off locations will be outside each station, at street level.

East-west service will be available, as usual, on College (506 Carlton), Dundas (505), Queen (501) and King (504) streets, for customers to connect from Yonge St.

Museum, Queen's Park, St Patrick and Osgoode stations will be closed during this work. Customers should note that all subway entrances/exits will also be closed, including TTC connections to hospitals. St George and St Andrew stations will remain open for fare sales and connection to surface routes and Line 2. Customers are encouraged to start their journey at any station on the Yonge side of Line 1 to avoid the closure area.

Customers who require Wheel-Trans service can speak with any TTC customer service staff member for assistance.

Customers are reminded that face coverings are mandatory while travelling on the TTC. More information on how to wear a mask properly is available at ttc.ca. Some exceptions apply.

This is the TTC's fifth 10-day closure while taking advantage of reduced ridership to complete essential system improvements and upgrades. During this closure, asbestos abatement work will be performed on the southbound platforms at St Patrick and Queen's Park stations, which will complete asbestos removal in this area. Similar successful shutdowns were carried out in March and April 2021.

The TTC is using a variety of tactics to ensure customers are aware of this extended closure and to minimize the inconvenience as much as possible. Customers looking for more information or assistance planning their trips are advised to visit ttc.ca or call Customer Service at 416-393-4636.

The TTC thanks its Board, local City Councillors, and the essential workers based along University Ave., for their assistance and patience with this closure.

The TTC is committed to keeping customers informed about work and events that impact service and about alternate routes. For the most up-to-date information, follow @TTCNotices on Twitter or sign up for eAlerts.