The City of Toronto announced that on Monday, March 25, lane restrictions will begin on the Gardiner Expressway between Dufferin Street and Strachan Avenue for critical rehabilitation work on the more than 60 year old route that is reaching its end of service life. This is the next phase of the City of Toronto’s Gardiner Expressway Strategic Rehabilitation Plan.
“This construction is urgently needed to keep traffic flowing and keep our communities connected. The City is committed to completing this section of work to ensure a state of good repair for generations to come as we focus on getting Toronto back on track,” said Mayor Olivia Chow.
Those travelling in and out of Toronto should expect the following road impacts with approximate dates:
- Monday, March 25 to Sunday, April 14: One lane (either eastbound or westbound) will be closed for pre-construction work with intermittent overnight closures of a second lane as required. During the eastbound lane closures, the eastbound on-ramp from Lake Shore Boulevard east of Jameson Avenue will also be closed to facilitate this work.
- Friday, March 29 to Sunday, March 31: All lanes will be open over Easter weekend.
- Saturday, April 6 to 11:59 p.m. on Monday, April 8: All lanes will be open.
- From mid-April until mid-2027: The Gardiner Expressway will be reduced to two lanes in each direction between Dufferin Street and Strachan Avenue with intermittent additional lane closures as required. The eastbound on-ramp from Lake Shore Boulevard east of Jameson Avenue will also be closed.
“Repairing the Gardiner is critical for keeping our City moving forward. We are committed to minimizing traffic and noise disruption while ensuring this important work is completed in a timely manner so Torontonians can continue to have a reliable journey on the Expressway,” said Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie (Scarborough-Rouge Park), chair of the Infrastructure and Environment Committee.
To keep traffic flowing during construction, the City will use a detailed congestion management plan that includes diversions, traffic agents and signal timing adjustments. Traffic impacts will be monitored and further congestion management measures will be added as required.
Between 2014 and 2016, Toronto City Council approved the Gardiner Expressway Strategic Rehabilitation Plan, which divides all the needed repair work into six sections.
The Gardiner Expressway is more than 60 years old and is reaching the end of its service life due to the effects of age, heavy daily use, weather and salt.
The first section, from Jarvis to Cherry Streets, was completed in 2021.
Preparatory work on this portion of the Gardiner began in November 2023 and construction is expected to continue until mid-2027. Details of this work, which will primarily take place Monday to Saturday, from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., include:
• Replacing 700 metres of the elevated bridge surface on the Expressway
• Rehabilitating the structures underneath that support the elevated Expressway
• Adding a new traffic management system and streetlights
Other work, including girder removal and replacement, shifting of traffic barriers between work stages and the delivery of materials, may be required at night.
The rehabilitation of this stretch is complex as the roadway is elevated, very narrow and busy. Drivers may not see workers along the Gardiner during road closures, as much of the work will be done from underneath.
In 2026, from May to the end of July, the Expressway will be fully open with no lane restrictions to accommodate the increased traffic anticipated during the FIFA World Cup.
Featured image: (City of Toronto)
