Photos: Work begins on Toronto's Eglinton Avenue transit line
The first tunnel-boring machine, named Dennis, now inching eastward as digging begins on the light-rail route
Workers are seen during the official launch of tunnel-boring machines for a new transit line on Eglinton Avenue in Toronto, Wednesday, June 5, 2013.Kevin Van Paassen/The Globe and Mail
Workers are seen at the Eglinton Crosstown west launch shaft in Toronto, Wednesday, June 5, 2013. The first pair of massive machines, named Dennis and Lea, will begin digging the underground portion of the line eastward from Black Creek Drive.Kevin Van Paassen/The Globe and Mail
Workers are seen at the Eglinton Crosstown west launch shaft during the official start of digging in Toronto, Wednesday, June 5, 2013.Kevin Van Paassen/The Globe and Mail
Workers are seen at the Eglinton Crosstown west launch shaft in Toronto, Wednesday, June 5, 2013. The new Eglinton Crosstown LRT line will run about 19 kilometres, with more than 10 kilometres built underground.Kevin Van Paassen/The Globe and Mail
Officials unveil the names of the tunnel-boring machines at the Eglinton Crosstown west launch shaft in Toronto, Ont. Wednesday, June 5, 2013. The first pair of massive machines, named Dennis and Lea, will begin digging the underground portion of the line eastward from Black Creek Drive. The second pair, named Don and Humber will dig from Leslie Street heading west toward Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue.Kevin Van Paassen/The Globe and Mail
Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Glen Murray throws the switch during the official launch of two pairs of tunnel-boring machines in Toronto, Ont. Wednesday, June 5, 2013.Kevin Van Paassen/The Globe and Mail
Darrell Liebno, project manager, signs a tunnelling boring machine at the Eglinton Crosstown west launch shaft in Toronto, Ont. Wednesday, June 5, 2013.Kevin Van Paassen/The Globe and Mail
Officials unveil the names of four tunnel-boring machines at the Eglinton Crosstown west launch shaft in Toronto, Ont. Wednesday, June 5, 2013. The first pair of massive machines, named Dennis and Lea, will begin digging the underground portion of the line eastward from Black Creek Drive. The second pair, Don and Humber, will dig from Leslie Street heading west toward Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue. The new Eglinton Crosstown LRT line will run about 19 kilometres with more than 10 kilometres built underground.Kevin Van Paassen/The Globe and Mail
Bruce McCuaig, CEO of Metrolinx, signs one of the tunnel-boring machines in Toronto, Ont. Wednesday, June 5, 2013. The transportation agency says the transit route will cut travel time dramatically.Kevin Van Paassen/The Globe and Mail
Workers are seen at the Eglinton Crosstown west launch shaft in Toronto, Wednesday, June 5, 2013. The first of two tunnelling boring machines travelling eastbound began turning Wednesday morning.Kevin Van Paassen/The Globe and Mail
Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Glen Murray speaks at the Eglinton Crosstown west launch shaft during the official launch of tunnel-boring machines in Toronto, Wednesday, June 5, 2013.Kevin Van Paassen/The Globe and Mail
Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Glen Murray speaks at the Eglinton Crosstown west launch shaft in Toronto, Ont. Wednesday, June 5, 2013. "We are not going to be second-class citizens in the world anymore when it comes to transit," Mr. Murray said at the launch Wednesday.Kevin Van Paassen/The Globe and Mail