Major downtown intersection to be closed all week amid Spadina Avenue gridlock

A major downtown intersection has been shut down for an entire week, creating the potential for further gridlock along a corridor that has already seen a significant slowdown due to streetcar track work.

The intersection of Spadina Avenue and Bloor Street is expected to be closed to traffic until July 22 as the city completes work in the area that includes the installation of permanent raised cycle tracks, sidewalk replacement and reconstruction and resurfacing of the road itself.

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The closure comes amid reports of increased gridlock on Spadina Avenue due to the temporary replacement of streetcars that operate in a dedicated lane with buses operating in mixed traffic.

That change was required in order to accommodate “critical” track work that is expected to take the rest of the year to complete.

Last week, the TTC did make some changes to the bus routes along the corridor during the afternoon rush hours after determining that travel times had nearly tripled.

The gridlock, however, has persisted.

As a result of the closure of Spadina and Bloor, the TTC will be making further changes to its replacement bus route this week with vehicles skipping over several stops, including Spadina Station.

Normal service along the route will resume on July 22 when the intersection reopens.

The city says that pedestrian access through the intersection will be maintained during the closure, as will access to businesses.

A detour will be created for cyclists using the Bloor Street bike lane.