'Like a parking lot': Toronto's Gardiner Expressway now down to 2 lanes in each direction for 3 years
A 700-metre stretch of the Gardiner Expressway in downtown Toronto is now running on two lanes in each direction for the foreseeable future and some drivers are already expecting traffic to get worse.
“It's going to be chaos,” Nellie Carol, who lives at the Harbourfront, told CTV News Toronto.
One westbound lane from Dufferin Street and Strachan Avenue was closed on Sunday in addition to the one eastbound lane that was closed last week. The closures are part of a rehabilitation project for the 60-year-old highway, which is expected to last until mid-2027.
Even before Sunday’s closure, Carol said traffic in the area was bad due to the lane reduction in the eastbound lanes.
“When I was travelling westbound…I could see the traffic [eastbound] was backed up all the way from Yonge Street all the way back to the [Highway] 427. It was like a parking lot,” she said.
Mary Ann Torres says her commute from Park Lawn Road in Etobicoke to Strachan Avenue more than doubled to 45 minutes last week and says she may need to get a new job if the traffic continues.
“Public transportation or alternative routes (Lakeshore, Queensway) are also affected,” she told CTV News Toronto. “I wish the city had a better plan that comprehensively addresses the need to fix the infrastructure and mitigates the impact.”
Another commuter, named Lauren, told CTV News Toronto that her drive from south Etobicoke to midtown Toronto is two times longer than it used to be after the first lane closure in the eastbound lanes.
Vehicles makes their way into and out of downtown Toronto along the Gardiner Expressway in Toronto on Thursday, November 24, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
“From 35-40 to 70-80 minutes, three days a week,” she said in an email last week. “Lakeshore, Gardiner and routes through the city are all a mess, and Google Maps/Waze quotes for travel duration have become completely unreliable. I understand that the work needs to be completed, but why during such critical times of day?”
Crews will work from Monday to Saturday between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. to complete the $300-million project, which involves replacing concrete deck and girders, rehabilitating the associated substructure and installing new street lighting.
At times, the city has said, there will be “intermittent” overnight closures of a second east or westbound lane. The eastbound on-ramp from Lake Shore Boulevard east of Jameson Avenue is also closed.
The city says it will carry out a congestion management plan on the stretch of affected highway, which sees roughly 200,000 vehicles pass through daily.
City staff said the highway will reopen briefly during the 2026 FIFA World Cup when the city is set to host a handful of games.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Severe thunderstorm warnings, tornado watches possible amid high risk of storms in Ontario, Quebec
As a severe thunderstorm watch sets in across southwest and central Quebec, concerns circulate of major weather to come.
Fate to be decided for 2 dogs involved in 2022 fatal attack on Calgary senior
A judge is expected to issue a decision on Thursday about the fate of the two dogs involved in the fatal attack on Calgary senior Betty Ann Williams more than two years ago.
Ontario man can't collect lottery prize after he forgets where he bought ticket
An Ontario man who bought a lottery ticket was thrilled to find out he won, but collecting his winnings turned out to be a challenge.
Flurry of tornado activity reported across Manitoba
A low pressure system tracking in from Saskatchewan Wednesday night triggered a spurt of tornado warnings across southwestern Manitoba.
DEVELOPING G7 leaders finalizing deal to use frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine war efforts
Canada and its G7 allies are in the final stages of a deal that would see US$50 billion loaned to Ukraine.
Mother wants child's ICU visit investigated alongside tonsil surgery deaths at Hamilton hospital
An Ontario mother is sharing her story after she says her daughter almost died following a tonsillectomy at McMaster Children’s Hospital.
opinion Can you cut your monthly bills through negotiation?
If you feel like you're in over your head with monthly bills and subscription fees, personal finance contributor Christopher Liew has some tips and tricks on how to negotiate with certain companies to help cut your expenses and put money back in your pocket.
Who were the victims of Maya sacrifice? Ancient DNA reveals an unexpected finding
A new analysis of ancient DNA from the ancient Maya city of Chichén Itzá in Mexico challenges long-held misconceptions about the victims of ritual sacrifice.
Stop gas expansion for home heating or risk leaving ratepayers on the hook: report
Provinces must stop natural gas expansion and invest in electrification to keep home heating reliable and cost-effective, a new report says, suggesting ratepayers and governments could otherwise be on the hook for billions of dollars in underused and overbuilt gas infrastructure.