Downtown section of Queen Street may be closed for nearly 5 years for Ontario Line construction
A section of Queen Street in Toronto may be closed for nearly five years to construct a new subway station downtown.
On Tuesday, Metrolinx announced its detour plans to manage construction of a new Ontario Line subway stop at the intersection of Yonge and Queen streets.
The new subway station will be located underneath Queen Station and will provide connections to the existing Line 1 subway and TTC surface routes.
The proposed closure of Queen Street is expected to start in early 2023 and last for about four and a half years into 2027.
Metrolinx spokesperson Anne Marie Aikins says the Queen Street closure will be the most difficult to accommodate throughout the construction of the Ontario Line.
“Even though you're building subway underground, it's going to have impacts above ground. And we're going to limit them as much as we can by doing all kinds of things but it is definitely going to have an impact on cars, as well as transit,” Aikins told CTV News Toronto.
Metrolinx says detours will be made for both streetcar lines and car traffic around two parts of Queen on either side of Yonge, while maintaining pedestrian connections.
All vehicles and streetcars will be diverted off Queen from east of Bay Street to Yonge Street and from Yonge to Victoria streets.
Metrolinx says it decided to go with a full closure instead of a partial one to speed up construction.
“We looked at a partial closure option, but diverting all traffic for a set period of time means construction can be completed over a year sooner, the Ontario Line can open more than nine months earlier, and we can minimize disruptions to residents, businesses and visitors,” Malcolm MacKay, Metrolinx program sponsor for the Ontario Line, said in a news release on Tuesday.
Yonge, Bay and Victoria streets will remain open to cross north and south across Queen throughout construction and pedestrian access will remain open to all businesses in the area.
“There's some advantages that we didn't have in Eglinton [station construction] that we have here at Queen Street. They're all large businesses, they all have access off of Queen Street, and in some cases many different access points and even underground access. “So there's lots of advantages, there will always be pedestrian traffic so that will always be maintained,” Aikins says.
Streetcars will run on detour routes on Richmond and Adelaide streets during construction.
Metrolinx says it will construct new tracks that will link Queen to Adelaide via York Street for eastbound route diversions. Streetcar tracks that connect Queen to Richmond already exist for westbound diversions.
For businesses in the area, Metrolinx says it will use “proven noise and vibration solutions” to address potential disruptions.
A 24-hour hotline will also be created to give people access to someone who can listen to their concerns, along with offices along the route to answer questions and provide updates.
Aikins says the closure and detour plan will go to city council for approval in November.
Metrolinx also plans to host a virtual open house about the closure in the coming weeks. More details can be found on Metrolinx's website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
BREAKING Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
On federal budget, Macklem says 'fiscal track has not changed significantly'
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says Canada's fiscal position has 'not changed significantly' following the release of the federal government's budget.