Toronto's Gardiner Expressway lanes to be reduced for 3 years starting Sunday. How will it affect your commute?

Toronto’s Gardiner Expressway is about to be reduced to two lanes in both directions on a downtown stretch of the highway for a three-year rehabilitation project.

One westbound lane will close at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, weather permitting, in addition to the one eastbound lane that was blocked off earlier this week. The lane reductions are expected to remain in place until at least mid-2027. The westbound closure was scheduled to take place Thursday night, but was postponed due to the weather.

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It’s all part of what the city has called “critical construction work” on the 60-year-old highway. The construction from Dufferin Street to Strachan Avenue marks the second stage in the six-stage rehabilitation project. The work on the first stretch, from Jarvis Street to Cherry Street, was completed in 2021.

Crews will work from Monday to Saturday between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. to complete the $300-million project, which involves replacing 700 metres of 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.

Throughout the construction, 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.

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

Sunday's closure builds on preconstruction work that started on March 25 and saw one lane blocked off.

Officials said the highway will reopen briefly during the 2026 FIFA World Cup when the city is set to host a handful of games.

If you’ve been, or think you’ll be, affected by the construction, CTV News Toronto wants to hear from you.

Have you already encountered bad traffic on this stretch of highway due to the lane closures? Will you or have you had to change your route to work? Are you worried about the traffic getting worse?

Share your story by emailing us at [e-mail] with your name, general location and phone number in case we want to follow up. Your comments may be used in a CTV News Toronto story.

With files from CP24’s Joshua Freeman