The construction out front of Union Station could soon be cleared, and Front Street fully reopened by the end of the year, as crews race to finish major projects ahead of the 2015 Pan Am Games.
The work being completed at the downtown transit hub is a joint partnership between the city, TTC and Metrolinx.
At Wednesday’s TTC meeting, commissioners were told that the last major concrete work at Union is complete and their portion of the project is on budget.
TTC project manager Malcolm MacKay said the work is 75 per cent done.
“We've still got a little bit of contingency left, but a few things have to come out well for us to meet budget exactly,” he said.
MacKay said that by this summer the new south platform will open giving commuters much more space.
“We're effectively doubling the capacity of the station so for sure it’s going to be a much better environment,” he said.
GO Transit is also moving ahead with its own renovation plans and a new concourse is scheduled to open by December.
Acting VP of GO Capital Infrastructure Mike Wolczyk said the cold winter hasn’t helped the progress and forced some work to be put off – like using water to blast away concrete.
“It’s been a brutal winter and its really slowed things down, but we're still keeping our schedule,” he said.
The city for its part is working away to complete an underground restoration that will see a large open area with shops and restaurants for commuters.