The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) has begun demolishing part of the former Line 3 Scarborough RT to make way for the planned installation of a busway.
Crews appear to have begun the process at the former Ellesmere stations, where contractors could be seen ripping up tracks as trucks dropped off and removed dumpsters.
As part of a so-called early works program to prepare for a busway, the former Scarborough RT corridor is being cleared south all the way to Kennedy Station of tracks and signals.
According to a recent report, to the TTC board, the work is scheduled to be done by the end of 2024. Officials said the full design of the future busway and an environmental assessment process should also be completed by the end of the year.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow moved to set aside funds to build this busway during the 2024 budget. It’s unclear when the busway could open to the public, but in late 2023, TTC staff estimated it would open sometime in 2026.
The TTC currently has express buses running between Kennedy and Scarborough Centre stations north-south on Kennedy Road and Midland Avenue, respectively.
The shuttle bus plan was rolled out in November 2023 after a Line 3 Scarborough RT train derailment on July 24 of that year forced an early closure of the aged corridor.