What's happening with Vancouver's Broadway subway?

Construction on Vancouver's Broadway subway line is taking a major step forward thanks to two massive machines named Phyllis and Elsie, according to the province.

The pair of cylindrical boring machines measure six metres in diameter and weigh about one million kilograms. They'll soon start carving out the underground tunnels that will eventually move approximately 150,000 people a day along the busy corridor.

Friday's update from B.C.'s Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure describes the development as a "critical phase of construction."

The two machines will, over the next year, create five kilometres of inbound and outbound tunnels that will ultimately connect the six subway stations. Elsie will start the work and Phyllis will follow.

"The Broadway Subway will be a game changer for commuters on one of the busiest corridors in Metro Vancouver,” said TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn in a statement.

After the boring is complete, the next phases will be building the stations themselves and installing the tracks.

In the announcement, officials touted the project as having benefits beyond shaving 20 minutes off of commuters' travel time.

"The Broadway Subway will provide affordable and efficient transit connections throughout the Lower Mainland, and it’s also going to create new opportunities for affordable housing, community amenities and commercial services along the route,” wrote Transportation Minister Rob Fleming.

The project is expected to be complete in 2025.

WHY PHYLLIS AND ELSIE?

The province's statement says the two machines were named after Elizabeth (Elsie) MacGill and Phyllis Munday, "two well-known British Columbians who were leaders in engineering and mountaineering."

MacGill, a graduate of UBC, was the first woman In Canada to earn a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. She was also the first female aeronautical engineer and professional aircraft designer in the world.

Munday was a nurse who founded the Girl Guides in B.C. and the first St. John Ambulance brigade in North Vancouver. She was also an avid mountaineer and was the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Robson.