The Gardiner Expressway in Toronto will be closed for the next 3 years

Getting in and out of downtown Toronto along the Gardiner Expressway will be much more difficult.

CityNews has confirmed that the City of Toronto's strategic rehabilitation plan for the Gardiner Expressway will begin again this spring.

A spokesperson for the city told CityNews that the contract for the upcoming construction work was signed in October 2023 and preliminary work is already underway.

“Work on the underpass of the Gardiner Expressway is scheduled to begin in November 2023,” a city spokesperson said.

“Beginning in late March 2024, due to weather conditions, the Gardiner Expressway will be reduced to two lanes in each direction between Dufferin Street and Strachan Avenue.”

The planned work represents the second phase of a six-phase restoration project approved by Toronto City Council between 2014 and 2016.

“The effects of age, heavy daily use, weather and salt have made the expressway require a multi-year complex rehabilitation to keep it operational for the future,” the project's website says.

“Because Gardiner encompasses several areas of the city, including designated neighborhoods, two estuaries, and downtown, the city developed a Strategic Revitalization Plan to address this large, complex and important project.”

The first phase between Jarvis and Cherry streets was completed in April 2021, with the second phase originally scheduled to begin later that year.

Many delays led to the city Adjust its timeline for the entire project from 2027 to 2030but now it is said that even this goal may not be achieved.

“This timeline will be monitored as implementation progresses,” a city spokesperson told CityNews.

“Many factors affecting construction projects around the world, such as supply chain management, material cost and availability, and skilled labor shortages, as well as the need to coordinate construction across cities to minimize impacts, can all affect construction timelines. full strategic rehabilitation plan”.

The second phase of construction will last until mid-2027, but CityNews has confirmed that lane restrictions will be lifted for two months during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“The city has contracted Gardiner from Dufferin Street to Strachan Avenue to delay construction during the FIFA World Cup,” a city spokesperson said.

Lane restrictions will be removed from May 2026 until the end of July 2026 to allow the expressway to be at full capacity during the tournament.

In September 2015, the city estimated the cost of the entire project to be about $2.5 billion. In August 2016, a revised estimate of $3.6 billion was sent to council for consideration.

It is not yet clear how 2023 agreement for provincial control of Gardiner and Don Valley Parks affects total spending and which level of government funds it.

“Both the city and province continue to meet to advance the next steps for the Gardiner and Don Valley Park uploads,” a city spokesperson told CityNews.