In December, a trio of tunnel boring machines (TBMs) arrived in the Greater Golden Horseshoe, destined for Metrolinx’s Eglinton Crosstown West Extension and Scarborough Subway Extension projects. Following a two-week journey across the Atlantic, the boring machines, one 12 metres in diameter and the other two both 6.5 metres in diameter, arrived at the Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority’s (HOPA Ports) Ontario ports. All manufactured by Herrenknecht in Germany, the larger Scarborough Subway Extension TBM was delivered to the Port of Oshawa, and the other two for the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension project were delivered to the Port of Hamilton.

At each port, carrier vessels delivered the heavy cargo with the assistance of the expert stevedoring teams who serve HOPA’s network of ports. The twin TBM cutter heads bound for the Eglinton Crosstown West project came through the Port of Hamilton aboard the Federal Delta, handled by stevedore Federal Marine Terminals

The Eglinton Crosstown West Extension, expected to be complete in 2030-2031, will extend the Eglinton Crosstown LRT another 9.2 kilometres farther west through Etobicoke and into Mississauga. The TBMs arriving through the Port of Hamilton will tunnel the section between Renforth Drive and Scarlett Road.

As bookends to the Greater Golden Horseshoe, Oshawa and Hamilton’s ports are key gateways to the most densely populated area of Southern Ontario and the country’s busiest construction zone. “As an integrated port network, we look to create better connections for businesses and industrial users moving cargo throughout the Greater Golden Horseshoe, just like Metrolinx does for rail passengers,” said Ian Hamilton, President & CEO of HOPA Ports. “We’re thrilled to see goods move through the Ports of Hamilton and Oshawa, which will in turn help people move more efficiently.”