Toronto waterfront grade separation

February saw the completion of a certain amount of high level track along the Toronto waterfront from Logan Ave. on the east to Bathurst St. on the west, those two streets being the east the west limits, respectively, of the area within which the waterfront grade separation is being carried out. On Feb. 11, a work train travelled on the high level tracks from end to end of the grade separation area, but this does not mean that the track elevation work is completed. The main line tracks have been elevated in the eastern part of the area, but the tracks which have been placed on the embankment west of Yonge St. are freight and yard tracks only, south of the main line tracks and station tracks, yet to be elevated, the union station continuing to be operated on the low level. Completion of some continuous elevated track was made possible by the closing of the temporary bridge between Bay and Yonge Sts., the bridge being cut and the embankment being built between the ends of it, on which a track was laid at the level on top of the bridge. This bridge will be put back into service in two or three months, and will carry street cars in addition to vehicular and pedestrian traffic, as it did before it was closed to traffic, a diamond to enable street car tracks to cross the elevated steam railway having been ordered recently.

As stated in our February issue the southern portion of the subways at Yonge, Bay and York Sts. have been completed, the contractor for the former being Nelson River Construction Co., and for the two latter, P. Lyall and Sons Construction Co. It will be possible to complete construction of the Yonge St. subway< in the hear future, following some rearrangement of the low level tracks, and this work will be gone ahead with, but the Bay and York St. subways cannot be completed for some time.

Work on the central heating plant, a description of which, with plan, was given in the Canadian Railway and Marine World for February, pg. 61, is proceeding satisfactorily. The boilers have been installed, other equipment is being put in, installation of the outside coal and ash handling facilities is well on to completion, steam lines have been laid in the tunnels to the station, the Canadian National Ry. express and office building, and the Canadian Pacific Ry. Royal York hotel, one of the large brick stacks is completed and the other 50% complete, brickwork on the building is nearing completion, and a large part of the concrete for the slab roof has been poured. The general contractor for this work is P. Lyall and Sons Construction Co., Montréal, and the two large stacks, of radial brick construction, each 232 ft. high, weighing 1,200 tons, and with inside diam. 12 ft. at top and 29 ft. at base, are being built by Francis Hankin and Co., Toronto, both being sunk to rock.

Bathurst St., at the west end of the grade separation work, is now carried over the steam railway tracks on a skew, on a bridge which is quite old. The Toronto city authorities have decided to carry Bathurst St. straight south over the tracks, and provision is being made to thus extend the street and provide for a new bridge over the steam railway tracks, at a total cost of $1,400,000.

Toronto Terminals Ry. Co. invited tenders, up to Feb. 21, for the purchase and removal of a number of old buildings on its property north of the main line tracks, including buildings occupied until recently by Wilson Scale Co., on the west side of West Market St., south of the Esplanade, and buildings occupied until recently by Reid and Brown. The buildings, rubbish, etc., are to be removed within 60 days from acceptance of tenders. The land which has been occupied by these facilities is not to be put to any immediate use; it may be sold.

Considerable discussion on street and railway track grade separation at points not covered by the waterfront grade separation agreement has culminated in presentation of a report by the City Works Commissioner. It deals first with the project of grade separation at the foot of Strachan Ave., and recommends against it, the situation being that construction of either a bridge or subway would be impracticable, and bound to result in large property damages. Regarding a southerly extension of Pape Ave., from Eastern Ave., to Commissioner St., the works Commissioner reports it as unnecessary, and D. W. Harvey, General Manager, Toronto Transportation Commission, is quoted as having stated in a letter that what is in mind is operation of street cars on Carlaw Ave., which should be developed as an eastern entrance to Ashbridge's Bay (eastern waterfront) district, rather than Pape Ave. The report states that application to the Board of Railway Commissioners for grade separation of Logan, Pape, Jones and Greenwood Aves. would be futile.

Railways: T.T.Ry.

Stations: Toronto

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