You may have noticed, at the intersection of Oakwood Avenue and Eglinton Avenue West, there is now a large steel structure. For the first time ever in Canada, an overhead crane has been assembled on a pile wall above an open excavation. This impressive first is all part of the construction of the Crosstown’s new Oakwood Station.

“At Oakwood [Station], the footprint of the open pit is the footprint of the station, so there was no extra space for us to install a tower crane or a luffing crane, which is typically used on other construction sites,” said Paula Oliveira, Oakwood Station Project Manager. “We had to find a creative solution and an overhead crane was the answer. It will provide us the load capacity we need, and it is easier for us to assemble and disassemble.”

The 35-tonne capacity overhead crane stands 12 metres tall and will help lower and lift materials and equipment needed for Oakwood Station’s mining and construction activities.

“Installation of the overhead crane was challenging because engineering firms in Toronto have never designed something like this before. But, we successfully worked together to make it work for the first time in Canada,” said Paula.

You’ll be able to see the overhead crane in action starting in mid-September. Mining activities at Oakwood Station will begin in October 2017.

Fun Fact: Oakwood Station’s overhead crane and its beams weigh 73,000 kilograms, which is equivalent to 12 African bush elephants.