Major construction begins on BROADWAY SUBWAY extension

VANCOUVER – Major construction has commenced on the Broadway Subway Project, a 5.7-kilometre extension of Vancouver’s Millennium Line, which will add six stops to one the City’s most bustling neighborhoods and connect VCC-Clark Station to Broadway and Arbutus.

The project, led by joint venture between GHELLA and Acciona, brings together two of the world’s foremost tunneling and sustainable infrastructure companies and will deliver riders of Metro Vancouver with faster, affordable, more convenient travel.

“The project team, compromised of the best resources from the JV’s partners, is keen to deliver to the city of Vancouver this fundamental infrastructure which will eradicate city congestion and improve the quality of life”, said Marco Ciarlantini, Area Manager of Ghella. “In addition to the remarkable environmental benefits, the project will create hundreds of work opportunities in a safe environment, despite the current pandemic which we believe will soon come to an end.”  

The first priority of the construction team will be to construct traffic decks to allow for the continued flow of traffic along Broadway while the construction continues below ground. This innovative engineering solution involves drilling and placing vertical columns to support steel plates for the traffic decks. 

Later this year, work will begin on the elevated guideway and tunnel portal that will provide access to the underground portion of the new line.

The majority of the line will be built underground using a pair of tunnel boring machines. Next year, both machines will have a staggered launch from the Great Northern Way-Emily Carr Station. This approach, along with traffic decking on Broadway, will minimize the impact on businesses, residents and people travelling to the area.

Over the past several months, work on the Broadway Subway Project has focused on site preparation, building demolition and utility relocations.

Press Release_Major construction begins on BROADWAY SUBWAY extension