page_title: Line 2 Bloor–Danforth
section_title: Subway construction
hierarchical_section_title: Line 2 Bloor–Danforth / History / Subway construction
caption_attribution_description: English: Plaque commemorating the opening of the subway extension from Warden Avenue (Warden Station) to Eglinton Avenue (Kennedy Station) on the Bloor-Danforth line.
context_page_description: Line 2 Bloor–Danforth is a subway line in the Toronto subway system, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission. It has 31 stations and is 26.2 kilometres in length. It opened on February 26, 1966, and extensions at both ends were completed in 1968 and again in 1980.
  The line runs primarily a few metres north of Bloor Street from its western terminus at Kipling Avenue to the Prince Edward Viaduct east of Castle Frank Road, after which the street continues as Danforth Avenue and the line continues running a few metres north of Danforth Avenue until just east of Main Street, where it bends northeasterly and runs above-grade until its eastern terminus, slightly east of Kennedy Road on Eglinton Avenue. The subway line is closed nightly for maintenance, during which Blue Night Network bus routes provide service along the route.
  The most travelled part of the line is located in Old Toronto's midtown area known as Yorkville. In this area, the subway connects to Line 1 Yonge–University at Spadina, St. George and Yonge stations. Towards the east, where the line runs parallel to Danforth Avenue, it serves areas such as Greektown and the East Danforth.
context_section_description: During the period after World War II, rapid development created a need for more public transit. A referendum on whether a subway should be constructed along Yonge Street was held on January 1, 1946, and this proposal received majority support. The opening of the Yonge subway in 1954 resulted in another plan by the TTC for a Bloor–Danforth line, this time without an expressway, costing $146 million. The line was approved, but was not built.
  In the 1950s, there was intense debate over where the second Toronto subway line would run as it would affect how bus routes in Toronto's suburbs would operate. There were two main plans. While both shared the same route at the outer ends, the TTC favoured a route that continued eastwards from Christie station to Pape station. This plan was championed by the TTC chairman, Allan Lamport, and also included an extension of the Yonge line from Union station northwards to meet the new line at St. George station. The other plan, which was proposed by the city's planning department and endorsed by the Metro Toronto chairman, Fred Gardiner, had a large "U"-shaped diversion in the centre. From Christie, it ran south to Queen Street West, and after following Queen Street eastwards to Pape Avenue, turned north to rejoin the east–west route at Pape station. The eastern routing is similar to the Relief Line subway proposal of the 2010s and its successor, the Ontario Line.
  In 1956, Toronto's midtown area was starting to experience growth. There was a public debate about the two schemes between the two chairmen and the municipalities that made up Metropolitan Toronto. The extension of the Yonge line along University Avenue, and the east–west Bloor–Danforth line extension were authorized on September 5, 1958 by the Ontario Municipal Board which sought a compromise between the involved communities. The financing of the project was controversial. For the first time, financing was to be split between the TTC and Metro Toronto, incurring a property tax increase. This was opposed by Etobicoke, Long Branch, Mimico, New Toronto and Scarborough, who wanted the project to be funded solely by the TTC. The battle to stop the project went to the Supreme Court of Canada.
  The University line opened in 1963, and the Bloor–Danforth line opened from Keele station in the west to Woodbine station in the east on February 26, 1966. Nine men died during its construction. Most of the line is underground and built using the cut-and-cover method, with some sections built using a tunnel boring machine. Other parts of the line are above ground in grade separated rail corridors. The line was 12.9 kilometres (8.0 mi) long, and ran about 20 to 40 metres (66 to 131 ft) north of Bloor Street and Danforth Avenue. The cost of the initial section was $200 million ($1.744 billion in 2018 dollars).
  Once the line started full operation, construction of extensions to the Bloor–Danforth line began. The extensions to Islington station in the west and Warden station in the east opened simultaneously on May 11, 1968. These were completed at a cost of $77 million ($546 million in 2018 dollars). On November 21, 1980, the line was extended to the current terminal stations of Kipling station in the west and Kennedy station in the east at a further cost of $110 million ($334 million in 2018 dollars).
caption: Plaque at Kennedy station commemorating the extension of the line
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