Metrolinx officials announced yesterday that the Eglinton Crosstown LRT likely won't be ready until 2021, one year later than expected. According to the Star, the exact reason for the delay isn't exactly clear because the various players in the project assign blame in different directions.

The project encountered difficulty after Toronto city council decided not to replace the Scarborough RT. This in turn stalled the tendering process by nearly six months, according to the Toronto Sun.

A delay such as this shouldn't come as a surprise, considering that even before construction started, the TTC reported that Metrolinx's 2020 completion date was rather ambitious.

Despite all this, the boring of the 19km, 25-stop Eglinton Crosstown LRT continues on, wreaking havoc on surface streets but promising a better transit future for the Eglinton corridor when finally complete. Crews will start tunneling westward, from Brentcliffe Road to Yonge Street, on Tuesday.

Are you at all surprised that the project is officially delayed? Let us know in the comments.

Photo by Christian Bobak.