Summerhill Station Easier Access Construction

Effective until Q2 2025

Thank you for your patience as we work to make Summerhill Station accessible.

For more information about Summerhill Station Easier Access, please go to the project website.

Caisson Installation Begins at Second Elevator Site
& Extended Work Hours

Timeline: Beginning as early as May 13, 2024

Beginning as early as May 13, crews will begin installing caissons at the site for the future Line 1 southbound elevator for Summerhill Station. The work area will be within the hoarded area of the construction site at Summerhill Station in the location of the old entrance. Saturday work will be required for this phase of the project for the next few months.

Caisson Installation

A drill rig will install a series of vertical caissons for the below grade elevator structure. Caissons are formed by drilling and placing a hollow tube into the ground, placing a large steel beam with a crane into the tube, and filling it with concrete. These “piles” of concrete will form the foundation of the future elevator structure. However, unlike a foundation for a house – where a hole is dug and then the foundation walls are built –crews drill overlapping caissons to form the foundation wall, then excavate the area. The caisson wall supports the future elevator structure and the neighbouring buildings. Similar work was done successfully for the second exit/entrance buildings and elevators for Chester, Coxwell and Woodbine stations adjacent to neighbouring homes. The photo shows the vertical caisson wall for the Chester Station second exit/entrance building beside a home.

What to Expect

A drill rig, vacuum truck and crane will be on site for the caisson installation. Caisson installation stabilizes the soil, creates a safe work zone, and is typical on construction sites where dewatering will be done. This photo shows caisson installation next to a neighbouring house at Coxwell Station. Crews will be drilling around the perimeter of the elevator site and there will be noise and vibration with this work from the drill rig and vacuum truck.

Noise and vibration should be expected with this work from the drill rig and vacuum truck. The contractor is complying with City of Toronto Noise and Construction Vibration By-Laws
Some temporary on-street stopping will be required for the construction trucks for deliveries to the site
The contractor is to provide flag person(s) as required to guide the construction vehicles in and out of the hoarding area
Construction trucks, equipment and site staff will be present in the general area

Timing

Caisson installation work is scheduled to begin as early as May 13 and is expected to continue for the next few months.
Some work may be rescheduled due to weather conditions or unforeseen circumstances.
Work is scheduled to take place between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday to Friday and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays. Saturday work will be required for the next few months.

Traffic, pedestrian and transit restrictions

Pedestrian walkways will remain open.
Shaftesbury Avenue will continue to be reduced to one-lane during the work.
Subway and bus service will continue as scheduled.

Summerhill Station: One-way Direction Change on Shaftesbury Avenue

Timline: Started April 4, 2024

What we are doing and why?

Construction at Summerhill Station is ongoing. The lane occupancy on Shaftesbury Avenue is required for construction and use as a laydown area and is instrumental in expediting the schedule.

A Community Council motion was carried on February 21, 2024, to convert Shaftesbury Avenue to one-way westbound traffic between a point 54 metres east of Yonge Street and Tacoma Avenue, until December 31, 2025, or completion of the Easier Access Project at Summerhill Station, whichever comes first. This change took effect on April 4th. Permit parking east of Yonge, east of the construction area to Tacoma will be on the south side but face west.

Elevators at Summerhill Station are scheduled to be in service in early 2025.

The project when complete will provide a barrier-free path to all levels of the station and include installation of:

Two elevators
Automatic sliding doors
Accessible fare gates
Improved signage

Traffic, pedestrian and cyclist restrictions

Pedestrians are directed to south side of Shaftesbury, walk east and cross to Shaftesbury north side at Tacoma, from here they go west on Shaftesbury to the station entrance. From the station directed east on north side of Shaftesbury and cross at Tacoma to south side of Shaftsbury and go west to Yonge. This is an interim measure until new crosswalk is implemented.
Shaftesbury Avenue will change directions to be a one-way westbound lane during the work.

Work hours

The majority of work activities will take place between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. daily from Monday to Friday. Some weekend work may be required.

TTC service

Subway and bus service will continue as scheduled.

Thank you for your patience as we work to improve transit in Toronto.

Summerhill Station: New Entrance / Exit Opening

Timeline: Opened January 22, 2024

What we are doing and why?

As part of Summerhill Easier Access project a new main entrance has been constructed at the east end of the station to accommodate elevators and accessible design features including automatic sliding doors and accessible fare gates. The new main entrance is scheduled to open January 22, 2024 and the existing entrance will be closed. The work for the elevators will continue with elevators scheduled to be in service in 2025.

The project will provide a barrier-free path to all levels of the station and include installation of:

Two elevators
Automatic sliding doors
Accessible fare gates

Traffic, pedestrian and cyclist restrictions

Pedestrians will be directed to south side of Shaftesbury Avenue, walk east and cross to Shaftesbury Avenue north side at Tacoma Avenue, from here they will go west on Shaftesbury Avenue to the station entrance. From the station directed east on north side of Shaftesbury Avenue and cross at Tacoma Avenue to south side of Shaftesbury Avenue and go west to Yonge. This is an interim measure until pending approval of the new crosswalk.
Shaftesbury Avenue will continue to be reduced to one-lane and one-way traffic going east during the work.

Work hours

The majority of work activities will take place between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. daily from Monday to Friday. Some weekend work may be required.

TTC service

Subway and bus service will continue as scheduled.

Thank you for your patience as we work to improve transit in Toronto.

The TTC’s Easier Access Program is making subway stations accessible. Construction at Summerhill began Fall 2021 and is scheduled for completion in 2025. For more details, please visit the Construction Update Presentation.

For further information, please contact:

Alexa Aiken, Senior Community Liaison,
437-488-5084, alexa.aiken@ttc.ca