Locals are begging for a reprieve from the persistent pounding and vibrations caused by two Eglinton Crosstown LRT boring machines currently heading east on Eglinton in the Avenue Road area.

“It’s like they’re practically in my basement,” said Margaret Nocent, who lives on Heddington Avenue. “[There are] extreme noise levels all throughout the night,” she added. “At times there are vibrations.”

Metrolinx’s Crosstown project is exempt from the City of Toronto noise bylaw, and so the transit company is allowed to drill around the clock, which local councillor Christin Carmichael Greb said is particularly troubling to residents.

“In 2010, council passed a motion saying Metrolinx could work 24/7 because it’s better for the machines to keep going. So in discussions with Metrolinx, the answer residents get is, ‘Well tough. We’re allowed to do it, so you have to put up with it,’ ” she said.

Jamie Robinson, spokesperson for Metrolinx, said complaints were minimal when they first started tunnelling in 2013 at Black Creek Drive. However, they have received 160 complaints concerning noise and vibration at the surface since passing Bathurst Street in November. As a result, he said they’ve “ramped up” their communications with the community.

“As you go through different parts along the corridor, you go through different geology, which is creating a different sense of noise,” he explained.

Maureen Sirois, chair of the Eglinton Way Business Improvement Area (BIA), has also felt the disturbance. “We felt it in our office as well. It’s persistent and pounding and quite disconcerting,” she said.

Sirois said local businesses have contacted the BIA about damages to their property, and others have had to shut down services. According to her, Kozeta Salon, a well-regarded salon and spa in the area, had told the BIA the noise kept her from opening her spa.

“In the downstairs, she has a spa facility … and it’s suppose to be relaxing, but how can a person relax if you’ve got this persistent pounding?” Sirois asked.

Robinson said the transit company has received a few complaints regarding damages such as cracks, paint or chipping and said Metrolinx assesses each claim on a case-by-case basis.

In the meantime, Robinson has asked residents to remain patient.

“We’re making great progress. We’re tunnelling approximately 10 to 15 metres a day … We expect them to be at Yonge Street [soon] where they’ll be finished by May or June this year.”