Piece of Gardiner falls at Lower Simcoe
Posted May 22, 2012 4:27 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A small piece of the Gardiner Expressway has fallen at Lower Simcoe and Lake Shore Blvd. West, police confirm with CityNews.
There are no reports of injuries, but police say someone could have been seriously injured by the falling concrete. The piece fell onto the sidewalk, and there have been no road closures.
“If the problem persists, we may have to look at putting a netting or a screening up,” said Mike Laidlaw, Senior Project Engineer.
“I don’t even want to park my truck here anymore,” said construction worker Nick.
Tuesday’s incident marks the third time this month that parts of the Gardiner have fallen.
One piece fell onto Lake Shore Boulevard West just east of Lower Jarvis Street on May 7. And three days later, another piece fell onto Parkside Drive near Lake Shore Boulevard West. Fortunately, no one was injured in either case.
A city staff report found that the Expressway is structurally sound, and that the cause of falling concrete was due to salt and water penetrating the concrete and corroding the steel reinforcement.
The city subsequently announced it would increase what it spends annually on the Gardiner Expressway from $10-million to $15-million, and increase inspections.
