Adjusting driving habits can ease Gardiner traffic woes: police
Posted April 30, 2014 5:52 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
As drivers adjust to the construction on the Gardiner Expressway, police say they can help lessen the impact of long-term lane closures on the roadway.
Commuters are being told they need to adjust their driving habits to help speed up travel along the eastbound Gardiner.
Long-term construction projects kicked off on Monday, which will result in lane restrictions on the key artery until around 2016.
The eastbound Gardiner is reduced to two lanes from Park Lawn Road to just east of Humber until December 2014, while eastbound and westbound Gardiner is down to two lanes from east of the Humber to east of Strachan Avenue until December 2016.
At times, people in the left lane trying to get to an exit are having to stop in heavy traffic and signal over to the right lane to exit.
With only two lanes in use, it means those people end up stopping other commuters so they can exit and are also causing accidents.
Const. Clint Stibbe with Toronto Police Traffic Services told 680News that drivers exiting downtown at Spadina Avenue or York-Bay-Yonge should get in the right lane before hitting the construction zone, and leave the left lane for those heading beyond to the Don Valley Parkway.
He said if people are more organized, then travel times will be faster for everyone.
Stibbe also said crashes are being caused by last-second decisions being made in tight traffic.
Motorists will also have to deal with extended traffic outside of the Gardiner due to the upcoming closure on the Don Valley Parkway. The roadway will be closed from 10 p.m. on Friday to 6 a.m. on Sunday for annual spring maintenance work.
