Canadas First Subway System

On March 30, 1954, Toronto became the first Canadian city to open a subway system! Now why is this so exciting? Well subways are an amazing engineering feat that use steal piles, beams and timbers to create an entire transportation system underground!

The Subway, mostly built underneath the extremely busy Yonge Street, had to be strongly supported, so first steel piles were placed vertically on either side of the street and then horizontal beams were placed on top to ensure the road wouldn’t crumble into the subway construction! After the set up was complete, engineers started designing a compacted frame and the rest of the subway! Some other areas were completely torn out and were replaced by bridges to create more space for the subway! Since, the subway was being built during the Korean War, steal was in short supply, so engineers had to get creative and decided to use concrete to make those bridges!

The total cost of the project was over $55 million which is equivalent to $1.2 billion dollars! To read more and see pictures about this engineering masterpiece, click here!

Wanna chat? Email Loren Vale at lv090923@ohio.edu