Toronto set to expedite summer construction season with fewer cars on road

While the COVID-19 pandemic has forced a large number of people to self-isolate and work from home, it has also meant fewer cars on the road.

The city says it is now looking to take advantage of the fact volume is down as much as 60 per cent in some areas by expediting some existing projects.

Despite the fact there is no timeline on when things will get back to some sort of normal, Mayor John Tory says he wants these projects done at “war-time speed.” That means lifting rush hour restrictions, extending hours when crews can work and working with contractors to get projects done faster.

Some of the major projects that will be accelerated include:

• Bathurst Street from Front Street West to Fort York Boulevard, bridge rehabilitation, TTC track rehabilitation resulting in full vehicular road closure, set to begin the week of May 17, 2020
• Bathurst Street from Front Street West to Queen Street West, replacing a 143-year-old watermain
• Church Street at Richmond Street East, replacing a 143-year-old watermain and TTC track requiring a full intersection closure
• Don Mills Bridge over the Don Valley Parkway, bridge rehabilitation and
• Completing the replacement of a 146-year-old watermain on Richmond Street from York Street to Bathurst Street.

In addition, other projects that the City will look to accelerate this spring include:

• Midland Avenue from Danforth Road to Lawrence Avenue East, road reconstruction and water service replacement
• Martingrove Road from Finch Avenue West to Albion Road, road resurfacing, sidewalk and curb construction
• Shuter Street from Sherbourne Street to River Street, road reconstruction, sidewalk construction and upgrading cycling infrastructure
• Bathurst Street from Front Street West to Queen Street West, replacing a 140-year-old watermain and
• Ossington Avenue from Dupont Street to Bloor Street West, replacing a 131-year-old watermain.

The city says it is also continuing to perform daily pothole repairs and other essential maintenance activities including the annual spring maintenance on the Gardiner Expressway which will see a stretch of the highway closed from Highway 427 to the Don Valley Parkway from 11 p.m. on May 29 until 5 a.m. on June 1.

Officials say contractors are expected to follow the guidelines of established by the provincial government and public health agencies when it comes to preventing the spread of COVID-19 on construction sites and ensure the safest possible environment for construction workers.