Crews tunnel beneath major road as huge sewer project underway in Mississauga

A major, multi-year sewer and watermain project that involves tunnelling beneath Lakeshore Road in Mississauga’s south end is set to make significant progress in the coming months, those in charge of the undertaking say.

Peel Region officials said in their latest Lakeshore Trunk Sewer and Watermain Project update that, among other completed early tasks, a shaft — or tunnel access point — has been dug to a depth of 45 metres at Jack Darling Memorial Park “and we are preparing the area for our tunnel-boring machine to start tunnelling this summer.”

The region is building a new large sanitary sewer and also installing watermain along Lakeshore Road in Mississauga, from Jack Darling Memorial Park in the west to Elmwood Avenue in the east (see map below). Work began last October.

“This multi-year construction project is a necessary investment that will support the long-term needs of the community” and provide a number of benefits, Peel officials said in their project update.

Among the benefits, according to project leaders:

• Ready for growth — Larger pipes mean the system can easily support new homes and businesses in south Peel.
• Better flow — Water and sewage will move through the system more smoothly and efficiently.
• Reliable service — Ensures a steady, high-quality water supply for homes and businesses, with fewer interruptions.
• A stronger system — New infrastructure is more durable and less likely to break or fail during storms.
• Cost savings — By replacing seven old pumping stations with this new gravity-based sewer pipe, Peel saves money on expensive long-term operations and maintenance costs.

Map shows area where sewer and watermain work is being completed on Lakeshore Road in Mississauga. (Source: Peel Region)

In addition to the shaft work completed at Jack Darling Memorial Park, the region noted crews have either finished or made progress on other tasks that include the following:

• Located existing underground utilities such as hydro and gas at multiple key areas along the length of Lakeshore Road.
• Tunnel access point at Richard’s Memorial Park is fully dug. It’s at a depth of 34 metres.
• Tunnel access point on Pine Avenue South is currently being dug.
• Tunnel access point at Elmwood Avenue in the public parking lot on the northeast corner of Elmwood Avenue and Lakeshore Road has begun. “We are drilling concrete piles in the ground that will provide ground support to access the tunnel deep into the ground,” the region said.

Officials added they have postponed the start of work at the Front Street North/Marina Park construction compound.

“We expect to start back here this summer,” the region said.

Looking ahead, project leaders said the following work is on tap for the remainder of 2026:

• The contractor will begin excavating at the Front Street North/Marina Park site once the compound has been set up this summer.
• Crews will complete digging the shafts at the construction compounds along Lakeshore Road and begin the tunnel-boring process.
• Crews will begin open-cut construction — above-ground trench work — for the new watermain on Lakeshore Road. “This differs from tunnelling as it involves digging a trench, laying the pipe, then filling in the trench,” officials said.

A look from above at part of Lakeshore Road in Mississauga. (Photo: Peel Region)

As work moves forward, Peel officials said area residents, businesses and drivers can expect impacts that include lane reductions on Lakeshore Road West, temporary road closures and detours, temporary closures of municipal parking lots (Elmwood Avenue North, Wesley Avenue and Front Street North), relocation of bus stops and sidewalk detours.

Several parks will also be impacted, according to project leaders. They include:

• Jack Darling Memorial Park — Access to leash-free areas will change while work zones are set up. Notices will be sent to residents ahead of time.
• Marina Park/Front Street North — the parking lot and the sidewalk on the east side of the roadway will be temporarily closed once the construction site is set up on the east side of the boulevard on Front Street North.
• Lakeshore Road West Trail — The multi-use trail on the south side of Lakeshore Road West is currently rerouted around the construction sites at both Jack Darling and Richard’s memorial parks.

Construction along the entire corridor, which also includes other smaller projects, is expected to continue until late 2029, the region said earlier.

For more information on the project, and related projects in the area, check out a video presentation from the region’s open house held in April.