The future of the eastern portion of Toronto's aging Gardiner Expressway will be in the hands of council next month, after a committee voted Wednesday night not to endorse any of the suggested options.
Earlier on Wednesday, the public works and infrastructure committee discussed two options for a 2.4-kilometre stretch of the crumbling highway.
The first option would see the elevated expressway torn down between Lower Jarvis Street and Logan Avenue. Following the demolition, construction crews would widen Lake Shore Boulevard to eight lanes to accommodate extra traffic. The official assessment pegged the total cost at $461 million.
Previous studies have suggested removing the expressway would add an average of 10 minutes to the commutes of those who usually take the route.
The second option is rerouting traffic with some kind of expressway link between the western Gardiner and the Don Valley Parkway, estimated to cost about $919 million.
On Tuesday, Toronto Mayor John Tory said he favours the second, or "hybrid," option despite its hefty price tag.
"I didn't get elected to make traffic worse, and let's be clear, removing that piece of the Gardiner will almost certainly make traffic worse," he said.
"While parts of me understand the desire to tear down the eastern section altogether, I don't believe we can."
The Gardiner debate was the only item posted on the public works agenda for Wednesday's meeting.
The high-traffic roadway was constructed between 1955 and 1966, and the deck and concrete barriers are in poor condition, a document attached to the meeting agenda said.
Since 2012, incidents of falling concrete have occurred along the corridor, including the area east of Jarvis Street.
An estimated $9 million has already been spent on emergency and interim repairs for the section in question, and the city expects to spend another $5 million in interim repairs.
Council will debate the future of the Gardiner in June.
