Expect Major Traffic Headaches Sunday
Posted May 3, 2008 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Drivers are warned to expect major traffic headaches Sunday. It’s not the snow, the sleet, or (thank goodness) a TTC strike, but a repair and a race that will snarl the roads.
DVP maintenance and the Sporting Life 10k will both take place this Sunday, and though one will be over by the afternoon, the repairs are expected to take a little longer.
The DVP will close in both directions between the Gardiner and the 401 as of 2am Sunday.
It will remain closed all day, and reopen at 5am Monday in time for the morning rush.
What’s going on to force the 27-hour shutdown?
“We’re going to do some catch basin cleaning, some roadway repairs, we are going to take a look at lighting system. Make sure everything is in good shape there and also the cameras, and make sure that they’re working well,” explained Steve Johnston of Toronto Transportation Services
The long stretch of uninterrupted work allows crews to perform the job in record time. It’s usually a two-day project.
“We were able to condense the work in one day,” reports Johnston. “We were able to pull together and make sure we could get all the work done in one day and it’s really important work but we are able to get it done in that one day.
That’s good news for motorists who aren’t pleased with the temporary shut down.
“It’s absolutely insane that they cannot coordinate road closures so that there’s no more than one road closed at one time,” dentist and driver Paul Moscoe fumed.
“We sympathize with the public as they make their way around,” asserts Johnston. “It can be very difficult to make their way around on a weekend where we have a closure, but I think the public recognizes this is important work. It needs to be done in order to make sure that the roadway is safe.”
The city suggests using Victoria Park, Don Mills, Bayview and Kingston Rd. as alternates – but not Yonge Street.
That’s because the DVP isn’t the only road block Sunday: A charity race will shut down Yonge from Lawrence to Front.
The run finishes at Roundhouse Park south of the CN Tower and all involved roads will be closed from 5am to 11am Sunday.
Here’s the list of the areas to avoid during the race:
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South on Yonge Street (full road closure to Adelaide Street East)
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East on Adelaide Street East (full road closure to Sherbourne Street),
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South on Sherbourne Street (full road closure to Front Street),
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South on Sherbourne Street (southbound lanes from Front Street to Lakeshore Boulevard East),
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West on westbound Lakeshore Boulevard East (two northerly lanes),
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North on York Street (full road closure),
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West on Bremner Boulevard.
Police will be out in force redirecting traffic to ensure the expected 8-9,000 runners get to the finish line safely.
This won’t be the last such roadblock on a main route this year. To see the list of when the DVP, the Gardiner, the Allen and the Lakeshore will all be shut down in the coming months, click here .
