Gardiner Expressway ramps to be torn down this week. Here's what you need to know

TORONTO -

Two ramps that allow drivers access to Toronto’s Gardiner Expressway will be torn down this week, leading to numerous months-long weekend closures along Lake Shore Boulevard East.

As of Aug. 31, starting at 9 p.m., the on-and-off ramps to Logan Avenue will be permanently shut down as a part of the city’s Gardiner Expressway Rehabilitation Plan. Once the ramps are removed, the Lake Shore Bridge over the Don River is expected to be widened and lengthened.

“Once the Lake Shore Bridge is re-engineered, the new space will accommodate bike lanes, pedestrian paths and a new linear park, and allow for the re-design and naturalization of the Don River, which will be a critical element for future flood protection,” officials said in a news release issued last week.

The city added that while “every effort has been made to reduce construction impacts,” residents can expect some noise, dust and dirt as a result.

Any work done before 7 a.m. and after 11 p.m. will be limited to clean up, steel beam removal and general non-crushing activities in order to reduce noise.

The construction is expected to take place on weekends between September and November.

The following road closures will be in effect on weekends during the first two months of the project:

• Lake Shore Boulevard East closed from Cherry Street to Carlaw Avenue

• Westbound Gardiner can be accessed from Jarvis Street

• Don Roadway closed between DVP and Commissioners Street – No access permitted to DVP. Access will be via Eastern Avenue and Queen Street

In November, work will begin on Lake Shore Boulevard East. According to the city, all roadway construction is anticipated to be complete in 2024.

The city will keep two eastbound lanes and one westbound lane on Lake Shore Boulevard open throughout construction to accommodate larger traffic volumes due to the demolition of the Logan Avenue ramps.

“The recommended alternate route for drivers travelling eastbound on Lake Shore Boulevard East is to follow Cherry Street north to Eastern Avenue eastbound,” the city said.

“For drivers travelling westbound on Lake Shore Boulevard, drivers can also travel north on Leslie Street and westbound on Eastern Avenue.”

The project was approved back in 2015, when Toronto city council voted to approve a “hybrid” alternative to tearing the Gardiner Expressway down in its entirety.

The $998-million endeavor will see the city create a more direct link from the Gardiner Expressway to the Don Valley Parkway and address the roadway’s state of disrepair.