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VANCOUVER — The first of two tunnel-boring machines on the Broadway Subway Project has broken through at the future Oak-VGH Station.

Named Phyllis, the machine has reached the fourth of six underground stations, excavating more than two kilometres of tunnel and installing approximately 1,330 concrete tunnel liner rings since departing from Great Northern Way-Emily Carr Station in fall 2022.

The 150-metre-long machine passed under the Canada Line at a depth of 22 metres shortly after departing Broadway-City Hall Station, states a release, adding from there, the newly completed tunnel rises to 15 metres below the surface at Laurel Street. After undergoing scheduled maintenance, Phyllis will continue toward the future South Granville Station. The other tunnel-boring machine, named Elsie, is expected to arrive at Oak-VGH Station this fall.

The Broadway Subway Project is a 5.7-kilometre extension of the Millennium Line from VCC-Clark Station to West Broadway and Arbutus Street. The corridor is home to B.C.’s second-largest jobs centre, world-class health care services, an emerging innovation and research hub, and growing residential neighbourhoods.

Once in service, the trip between VCC-Clark and Arbutus stations is anticipated to take 11 minutes.

The future Oak-VGH Station, located on the southwestern corner of Broadway and Laurel Street, is one of a number of construction sites featuring a pedestrian bridge above the excavated station in order to maintain access to businesses and services during construction.

Work to construct the concrete walls, columns and floors is underway in various stages at all six future underground stations.

Workers are also building the concrete deck for the 700-metre-long elevated guideway section that connects the Broadway Subway Project to the existing Millennium Line.

It’s estimated the project is creating more than 13,000 direct and indirect jobs during the construction phase.