The intersection of King and Spadina will be closed for the rest of the week. Here is what commuters need to know.

King Street and Spadina Avenue is closed after a garbage truck struck overhead TTC wires on Dec. 17, 2024.

The intersection of King Street and Spadina Avenue is expected to remain closed for the rest of the week after a garbage truck downed overhead wires on Tuesday morning. Here is what commuters need to know while the busy downtown intersection is closed.

Which streets are closed?

King Street is blocked off in both directions between Brant and Charlotte streets and Spadina Avenue is closed from Front to Adelaide streets.

“If anyone is travelling through this area for the next few days, it’s best to either give yourself some extra time or perhaps find another way around,” TTC spokesperson Stuart Green said.

How does this impact TTC service?

Several TTC routes will be on diversion during the closure, including the 504 King, the 508 Lake Shore, and the 510 Spadina streetcar routes.

The TTC says commuters impacted by these diversions can use Queen or Bathurst streets to hop on the streetcar, while Wheel-Trans customers can request door-to-door service as needed.

How were the wires damaged?

Circumstances leading up to the damage are not entirely clear but images from the scene appeared to show a garbage truck with its loader in the raised position.

What is being done to fix the issue?

The TTC said its engineers are working to assess the infrastructure and repair salvageable wires. Once that work is done, they will install and configure new wires, “ensuring breakers and other power systems are operational before testing the system for safe operations.”

Green told CP24 Tuesday that the intersection is a “complex” one and will require a lot of work to repair.

“The rail infrastructure is complex, the overhead is complex,” Green said.

He noted that crews will be working “around the clock” for the next few days.

When will the intersection reopen?

The TTC has said the intersection is expected to stay closed for the remainder of the week. In an interview with CP24 on Wednesday, Green said they intersection is slated to reopen on Friday night, potentially sooner.

 

With files from CTV Toronto’s Phil Tsekouras and Alex Arsenych