TORONTO — The Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport pedestrian tunnel is finally set to open this month after more than three years of construction and delays.
PortsToronto announced Monday that the $82.5 million tunnel will be open to the public on July 30, which follows an initial estimate of mid-2014.
The underground tunnel will connect travellers from the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport to the mainland, which would mean the ferry will no longer be the only way to get downtown.
READ MORE: Billy Bishop Airport pedestrian tunnel reaches breakthrough
The tunnel will not replace the ferry but instead complement the service – said to be one of the world’s shortest regular ferry routes.
“The construction of the pedestrian tunnel will create jobs,” Prime Minister Stephen Harper said at a groundbreaking ceremony in March 2012.
Some 1.5 million people use the island airport each year, and the tunnel was built in an agreement between PortsToronto, Forum Equity Partners and lead contractor PCL, at no cost to taxpayers.
To access the tunnel, travellers will descend about 30 m and travel along the main passageway via four moving sidewalks.
PortsToronto says travellers will ascend to the island atrium and airport’s check-in area at the south end of the tunnel using one of the longest escalator systems in Canada.
They say the tunnel will be 100 per cent powered by green energy supplied by Bullfrog Power Inc. and the journey is estimated to take less than six minutes.
READ MORE: Harper breaks ground for Toronto island airport tunnel
The project is being funded by the private sector and will partially be paid for by departing passengers via the existing Airport Improvement Fee.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony is set to take place on July 30, with members of the public able to access the tunnel immediately after.
PortsToronto announced plans in March 2012 to begin excavating the massive tunnel, which is built under Lake Ontario’s western channel.
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