Broadway Subway Project launches second TBM

Named Phyllis, the TBM joins Elsie, which was launched in October. The two Herrenknecht TBMs, each with a 6m diameter, were both launched from the Great Northern Way-Emily Carr Station and will bore 5km to reach their destination at Cypress Street, near the future Arbutus Station. Elsie is nearing its first breakthrough at Mount Pleasant Station.

Each TBM will take about one year to carve out the tunnels. They will then be dismantled and removed at Cypress Street near Arbutus Station.

The Broadway Subway Project Corporation, an Acciona-Ghella joint venture, has the contract for the project’s design and construction.

The overall schedule for project completion has been pushed back from late 2025 to early 2026 after the start of tunnelling was delayed because of a five-week strike in the summer, which affected concrete supply.

An update on the project timeline will be provided in spring next year when station excavation and tunnel boring are further advanced.

The Broadway Subway will provide a 5.7km extension and six new stations to the Millennium Line from VCC-Clark Station to Broadway and Arbutus, providing a SkyTrain service along the Broadway corridor.