That noise on the waterfront at night is the sound of a tunnel being dug in Mississauga

While the city above sleeps, tunnel-digging crews will be busy well beneath the surface of Lakeshore Road in Mississauga’s south end for the next two years or so.

The subterranean work gets underway tonight in the area of Jack Darling Memorial Park, where a shaft — or tunnel access point — has been dug to a depth of 45 metres.

From that spot, a tunnel-boring machine is now set to start working its way eastward, underground, for a distance of about four kilometres as part of Peel Region’s Lakeshore Trunk Sewer and Watermain Project.

The major, multi-year infrastructure project will see the region build a new large sanitary sewer and install 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 an earlier project update a couple of weeks ago.

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

Peel Region’s latest update on Monday noted the below-ground work begins July 20 at Jack Darling Memorial Park and will continue until summer 2028.

The region said the City of Mississauga has provided a noise bylaw exemption to allow tunnelling work to take place between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m.

“Overnight work will primarily involve tunnelling operations. These activities will generate lower noise levels than typical above-ground daytime construction,” Peel officials said in their most recent update, adding, “intermittent noise may still occur. However, measures will be in place to minimize impacts on nearby residents.”

The region continued, saying it knows “construction can be disruptive, and we appreciate your patience as we work to improve our community’s infrastructure.

“This work both maintains and improves Peel’s world-class water systems, allowing us to provide safe drinking water and reliable wastewater services to support a thriving community for life.”

Significant progress expected in next several months

The sewer and watermain project is expected to make significant progress in the coming months, those in charge of the undertaking say.

To date, 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.

Project leaders said that when the work is completed, residents and businesses will experience the many benefits.

The upside, according to project leaders, includes the following:

• 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.

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 also 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.

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 a Peel Region open house held in April.