A long-term rehabilitation program will shut down two lanes of the eastbound Gardiner Expressway starting Wednesday morning.

Construction began on Monday, and starting Wednesday at noon, the two right lanes of the eastbound Gardiner from the Jarvis Street on-ramp to Saulter Street will be closed to traffic.

Focusing on the southern barrier walls, the long-term project is just one part of a major construction project scheduled for the next decade.

"The barrier walls are in fairly poor condition,” said John Kelly, acting director of Design and Construction for the City of Toronto. “We’ve had to defer the major rehabilitation of this section until about 2020, but the barrier wall needs to be replaced in advance of that."

The repair to the section of the barrier is the minimum amount of work needed to keep the Gardiner safe until further construction can be completed, Kelly said.

Related short-term lane blockages include:

  • The far-right eastbound Gardiner lane from Spadina Avenue to west of Lower Jarvis Street on Wednesday, from midnight until 5:30 a.m.
     
  • The eastbound Gardiner on-ramp at Jarvis Street, from Wednesday to Friday morning.
     
  • A single lane on the eastbound Gardiner from Lower Jarvis Street to Saulter Streets from midnight to 5:30 a.m.

The southern wall has worn out faster than north-facing walls because of exposure to sun, meaning it’s more susceptible to the thaw and freeze cycle that can wreak havoc on the concrete.

In the meantime, the city suggests drivers opt for public transit, but will ensure all eastbound lanes on Lakeshore Boulevard, below the Gardiner, will be open during rush hour times.

Repairs to this part of the Gardiner are expected to continue until December 2014, with different phases to the project. The work on the Jarvis-to-Saulter part of the Expressway is expected to continue until the end of this year.

With a report by CTV’s Natalie Johnson