'No one wants to be stuck in traffic:' Gardiner construction will be completed one year ahead of schedule

The Ontario government says it is giving Toronto $73 million in order to speed up rehabilitation work on the latest stretch of the Gardiner Expressway by a year.

Work on the expressway between Dufferin and Strachan was scheduled to be complete by April 2027, but the money will be used to carry out construction 24/7 so that it's done by April 2026.

Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria made the announcement alongside Mayor Olivia Chow Wednesday morning at city hall.

"Ontario's investment will support contractors working 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with multiple shifts per day, with additional measures supported through this agreement to improve traffic flow," Sarkaria said.

He said additional measures will include modification of the Jameson Avenue on-ramp to the westbound Gardiner and opening a left turn lane at Spadina Avenue from Lake Shore East Boulevard, as well as relaxing noise restrictions and overnight lane closures.

"I am pleased to say that with the support of Minister Sakara and the provincial government, we are able to bring a plan to council that would accelerate the reconstruction of the Gardiner by one year," Chow said. "We are very grateful for their partnership."

Construction work to rehabilitate the crumbling expressway between Dufferin Street and Strachan Avenue has hampered traffic since it started in April.

Drivers have described 'nightmare' commute times with the busy expressway squeezed down to just two lanes of traffic in each direction since then, prompting calls for the work to be sped up.

Data released last month suggested that some commute times during the morning rush hour have increased by up to 250 per cent since the work began.

"Right now we are demolishing and rebuilding that stretch of elevated highway while four lanes of traffic continue to be driving on it. It's really complex," Chow said.

However she added that "no one wants to be stuck in traffic. It's frustrating. It gets your blood pressure, especially when you see a lane closure where, apparently there's no work being done."

Sarkaria said he uses the Gardiner every day himself and has seen travel times increase

"Commuting into Queens Park, I can tell you, it's added almost 40-45, minutes to my drive into the city," he said, adding he can appreciate that it's doing the same for many other people.

The province estimates the plan will save Ontario's economy $273 million by reducing gridlock.

While the province is kicking in $73 million to speed up the work, it was not immediately clear what the full cost will be.

"The financial details will be shared once the contracts are negotiated and finalized by our contractors," Chow said. "But I am pleased that the province has stepped in to help finance this acceleration. The people of Toronto want their government to repair the Gardiner as quickly as possible."

Sarkaria said incentive structures for contractors will ensure that the work is completed on-schedule.

"So if those timelines are not met, they're not going to get the incentivization payments to complete this project," he said.

Asked about noise considerations for residents who live in the area, Spadina-Fort York Councillor Ausma Malik said the approach to residents' concerns has been "thoughtful" so far in terms of testing out noisier construction to match their needs.

"The commitment has been to ensure that folks are able to get a good night's rest, even in our busy downtown communities, and I've been confident that that consideration is going to be taken forward as the 24/7 work that has always kind of been possible here is further accelerated," she said.

She said the city plans to "stay on top of ensuring that any noise issues are addressed quickly" and being proactive to ensure that residents aren't affected as badly they were in the first stage of Gardiner rehabilitation in the eastern part of the city.

Approximately 140,000 vehicles use the busy expressway each day.

The work being done now is the second part of a long-term rehabilitation plan for the crumbling 60-year-old expressway, which is being carried out in six stages. Council approved the plan back in 2014. The first stretch, between Jarvis and Cherry streets, was completed in 2021. Four more stages remain to be done after the current stage is complete.