Commuters face traffic gridlock as Eglinton LRT project causes major delays

Construction on the Eglinton Crosstown LRT line is causing major gridlock in the city as commuters voice their frustration over growing delays.

Traffic backlog along Eglinton Avenue and Allen Road has increased as crews work to complete the $5.3-billion light rail line.

Crews are currently working to build an extraction shaft on Allen Road so that they can move two massive tunnel boring machines without interrupting the York-University-Spadina subway line.

Officials say the ultimate goal is to transport people faster through the busy traffic corridor. Once built, officials say the LRT will reduce commute times by 60 per cent and get more people out of their vehicles.

But frustrated residents are fed up with the gridlock caused by the mammoth project.

“It’s hell. I hate it, I can’t wait for it to be over,” one commuter told CTV Toronto.

“I’m late for school every day because of this construction,” a student added.

Transportation Minister Glen Murray says the temporary inconvenience will be worth the wait.

“It will change people’s behaviour. More people will see it as a viable choice. They will look at their watch, look at the time, say ‘I’ve gotta get downtown,’ realize travel time will be less than half of what it used to be,” he told reporters Wednesday.

While officials seem optimistic about the long-term benefits of the project, it seems the gridlock may get even worse in the coming months.

With only two lanes of traffic currently open on Eglinton Avenue, officials say they may also need to seal off the on-ramp to the northbound Allen.

Metrolinx, the TTC and city council will review the plan in the coming months.

Bruce McCuaig, president of Metrolix, says his organization is hoping to minimize traffic delays for commuters, but warns that with a project of this scale, some delays should be expected.

“We’re committed to doing whatever we can to minimize those impacts but of course there’s no getting around the fact that building a major piece of infrastructure in a built-up and congested area will mean a good level of disruption,” he said.

The 19-kilometre light rail system will officially launch in 2020.

With a report by CTV Toronto’s Natalie Johnson

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  Tunnel boring machines have begun chewing there way underground to kick off the creation of the new Crosstown Eglinton LRT, the largest transit project in Ontario in more than half a century.
  
  Workers stand in front of a tunnel boring machine as it begins carving out an 11 kilometre tunnel for the Crosstown Eglinton LRT, in Toronto, Wednesday, June 5, 2013.