Ontario is taking a step towards construction of a subway extension from Toronto to Richmond Hill.
On Thursday, the province issued a request for qualifications (RFQ) for part of the Yonge North Subway Extension project.
The eight kilometer, five-stop line will run from Finch Station to just north of Highway 7 in Richmond Hill.
The RFQ covers a contract to design the tunnels as well as build the launch and extraction shafts for tunnel boring machines. A separate contract to build the stations and subway rail system will be worked out once tunnelling has begun.
"The Yonge North Subway Extension is a critical project for York Region that will provide much-needed access to reliable public transit and connect more people to major employment centres in Markham, Vaughan, and Richmond Hill," Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney said in a statement.
Work at Finch Station to accommodate the extension started in February.
The province has said the extension could be running by 2030, putting 26,000 more people within a 10-minute walk of transit with some 90,000 daily trips.
