Toronto’s Ontario Line metro project has reached another major delivery milestone, with the Pape Tunnel and Underground Stations package progressing into its main construction phase under a contract valued at approximately C$4.32 billion.
The underground works will be delivered by Pape North Connect, a joint venture led by Webuild and FCC Canada. The package forms a critical part of the northern section of the new Ontario Line, which is being developed by Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario as one of Toronto’s largest public transport investments.
The latest agreement follows a development and advanced design phase that began after Pape North Connect was selected for the project in January 2024.
Three Kilometres of Twin Tunnels
The Pape Tunnel and Underground Stations package includes approximately three kilometres of twin tunnels beneath Pape Avenue, extending between the Gerrard portal and the Don Valley bridge.
The works also include two new underground stations at Pape and Cosburn, tunnel portals at Gerrard Avenue and Minton Place, three emergency exit/service buildings and a rail crossover near Sammon Avenue.
One of the most technically demanding elements will be the integration of the new Ontario Line with Toronto’s existing subway network.
At Pape Station, the project requires underpinning of the existing Toronto Transit Commission Line 2 Bloor–Danforth subway station, allowing passengers to interchange between the two lines.
Construction will therefore need to be carefully coordinated around existing railway infrastructure, utilities, roads and densely developed neighbourhoods.
Webuild and FCC Lead Delivery
Pape North Connect brings together Webuild Civil Work Inc. and FCC Canada as the principal construction partners.
The design team includes Arcadis Professional Services (Canada) and AECOM Canada. Infrastructure Ontario confirmed the consortium’s selection following a competitive procurement process in January 2024.
The contract is being delivered using a Progressive Design-Build model, under which the client, designers and contractors work collaboratively during the development stage to refine the design, construction methodology, risk allocation and pricing before progressing into full execution.
When the consortium was initially selected in 2024, Webuild estimated the package at between C$1 billion and C$2 billion, with the final value dependent on detailed design. The latest reported agreement values the construction contract at approximately €2.7 billion, equivalent to C$4.32 billion.
Ontario Line Construction Accelerating
The Pape works form part of the wider 15.6 km Ontario Line, which will run across Toronto from Exhibition/Ontario Place in the southwest to the Line 5 Eglinton Crosstown connection at Don Mills Road in the northeast.
The line is planned with 15 stations, with more than half of its alignment running underground. It will also provide extensive interchange opportunities with Toronto’s existing transport network, including TTC subway Lines 1 and 2, GO Transit, the future Line 5 Eglinton Crosstown LRT, streetcars and bus routes.
Construction activity is already progressing elsewhere on the project. Metrolinx records the start of tunnelling for the downtown section in April 2026, while works are advancing across several station, tunnel and elevated sections.
Major Benefits for Toronto’s Transport Network
The Ontario Line is intended to significantly increase rapid-transit capacity through central Toronto while relieving pressure on existing subway infrastructure.
Infrastructure Ontario estimates that more than 227,500 people will live within a 10-minute walk of an Ontario Line station, while the project could place as many as 57,000 additional jobs within a 45-minute public transport journey for Toronto residents.
The new line is also expected to reduce crowding on the existing Line 1 Yonge–University subway and provide faster connections between communities on either side of downtown Toronto.
The progression of the Pape Tunnel and Underground Stations package into its construction phase represents another significant step towards creating the new east-west rapid transit corridor.
Related Railway News
