Toronto's Gardiner Expressway will be reduced to two lanes for 3 years

Trips on the Gardiner Expressway could be longer starting next month thanks to major repairs planned for the Toronto Artery.

The Gardiner Expressway will be reduced to two lanes in each direction between Dufferin Street and Strachan Avenue for three years beginning in late March, the city said. Additional lane cuts can be made throughout the project as needed.

The long-running lane closures continue the city's major strategic plan to rehabilitate the aging expressway.

The six-part Strategic Rehabilitation Plan was approved by the council in 2016. Its completion date was 2030. However, the city said a number of factors could delay that date.

“This timeline will be under review as implementation moves forward,” the city said in an email to CP24. “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 first phase of extensive works from Jarvis to Cherry Streets was completed in 2021. Highway 427 to the Humber River in the future; York Street to Grand Journal Boulevard; From Cherry Street to Don Valley Park; and the River Humber to Dufferin Street.

Toronto's six-part strategic plan to rebuild the Gardiner Expressway can be seen in this slide from a city staff presentation.

Work on the underside of the final stretch began a few months ago in November.

While the timeline for the stretch from Dufferin Street to Strachan Avenue includes a period when Toronto will host part of the World Cup tournament, the city says lane restrictions will be lifted for three months from May to July to accommodate the games.

Part of Gardiner is working on roads near the Fairgrounds and city staff say they are coordinating with related groups around major events like the Honda Indy and the CNE.

Pedestrian access to the GO station will be maintained during the work, and city officials say they will work closely with Metrolinx to avoid disruptions.

City officials say the project will have a “significant impact on traffic” and noise. Public notices and public meetings are expected to be held soon to inform residents.

Work on this section of the expressway is expected to be completed by mid-2027, the city administration said.

A government-wide committee on Oct. 30 approved the city's contract with Grascan Construction Limited for the work. That came a month before the provincial government announced it would hand responsibility back to Gardiner as part of a new deal with Toronto. The expressway and the Don Valley Park are expected to be completed by the end of this year.

“Both the city and the province continue to meet to advance the next steps for uploading to Gardiner and Don Valley Park,” the city said.