New tunnel announced to battle aging infrastructure

subscribe

Ontario is strengthening and modernizing Toronto's electricity transmission grid by replacing aging infrastructure and increasing capacity to ensure a reliable electricity supply.

Construction of a 2.4 kilometre long tunnel from Bayview Avenue to Yonge Street is set to begin as part of Hydro One's Midtown Electricity Infrastructure Renewal Project.

A specialized 120 tonne boring machine will start tunnelling this September to make room for six high voltage cables that will carry an additional 100 megawatts of power, enough electricity to power 25,000 homes.

The project will create 30 jobs and will help make Ontario's current energy infrastructure more efficient. Construction is scheduled for completion by the end of 2014.

Strengthening Ontario's electricity infrastructure is an important part of the McGuinty Government's plan to build a modern, clean, reliable electricity system. This will ensure the province has the electricity it needs to power our homes, schools, hospitals and our economy.

QUICK FACTS -- The tunnel will be 60 meters below the ground and almost 2.4 kilometers long.

-- The midtown power corridor was originally built in the 1920s and the first underground cable in the corridor was laid in the 1950s.

-- The midtown power corridor serves many central neighborhoods in Toronto, including areas north to St. Clair Avenue West, east to Mount Pleasant, south to Queen Street, and west to Jane Street.

The province is rebuilding or replacing approximately 80 percent of its electricity generating fleet while also investing in upgrading and sustaining the power grid.

Related News

working at home at night

Covid-19: Secrets of lockdown lifestyle laid bare in electricity data

LONDON - Life in lockdown means getting up late, staying up till midnight and slacking off in the afternoons.

That’s what power market data show in Europe in the places where restrictions on activity have led to a widespread shift in daily routines of hundreds of millions of people.

It’s a similar story wherever lockdowns bite. In New York, electricity use has fallen as much as 18% from normal times at 8am. Tokyo and three nearby prefectures had a 5% drop in power use during weekdays after Japan declared a state of emergency on April 7, according to Tesla Asia Pacific, an…

READ MORE
ottawa hydro

Ottawa sets out to protect its hydro heritage

READ MORE

berlin powerlines

Nine EU countries oppose electricity market reforms as fix for energy price spike

READ MORE

aidasol ship

Europe's largest shore power plant opens

READ MORE

electric meter

Nova Scotia regulator approves 14% electricity rate hike, defying premier

READ MORE