TORONTO -- Toronto drivers and transit users may be in for a bit of a messy commute over the weekend due to scheduled maintenance and multiple downtown road closures.

One of Toronto’s major roadways will be closed starting at 11 p.m. on Friday.

Allen Road, between Sheppard Avenue West to Eglinton Avenue West, will be shut down so that the city can conduct maintenance. The work includes bridge inspections, guide rail repair, line painting, pot hole repair, lighting inspections and repair of traffic cameras.

According to the city, this is the first time this stretch of roadway has been closed for maintenance since 2018.

“City staff estimate that it would take approximately 25 days with lane closures to complete the same amount of highly co-ordinated work performed in just a single weekend.”

The city says that about 80,000 vehicles travel along ‘The Allen’ during weekday peak periods.

Traffic-signal timing on nearby roads will be “enhanced” to help manage congestion as a result of the closure, the city added.

The expressway will reopen at 5 a.m. on Monday.

Motorists are being encouraged to use alternative routes along Keele Street, Dufferin Street, Avenue Road and Bathurst Street.

There will also be reduced lanes on the Gardiner Expressway and a partial closure at Lakeshore Boulevard and Lower Sherbourne Street for general maintenance.

The eastbound Gardiner Expressway will be reduced to one lane from Yonge Street to Cherry Street between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Saturday.

Meanwhile, both the eastbound and westbound lanes of Lake Shore Boulevard leading to Lower Sherbourne Street will be reduced over the weekend.

The city says there will be no left turns permitted and access to Lower Sherbourne Street will be restricted. Some of these restrictions will remain in place overnight.

Line 1 subway closure

There will be no subway service on Line 1 between Finch and Eglinton stations Saturday and Sunday as crews conduct signal system installations.

Shuttle buses will operate along Yonge Street.

North York Centre Station will be closed while certain entrances at Sheppard-Yonge, York Mills and Lawrence stations will not be accessible.

There will also be no subway service on Line 1 between Sheppard-Yonge and St. Clair stations between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. Monday to Thursday for tunnel and signal upgrades.

All stations will remain open for the purchase of fares and access to connecting lines.

ActiveTO closures

Lake Shore Boulevard East will remain open to provide drivers an alternative route during the Gardiner Expressway closures, but two other roads will be shut to vehicular traffic as part of the ActiveTO program.

The road closures are:

• Lake Shore Boulevard West from Stadium Road to Windemere Avenue

• Bayview Avenue from Front Street East to Rosedale Valley Road, and River Street from Gerrard Street East to Bayview Avenue

These roads will be accessible to pedestrians and cyclists.