Closures on the Gardiner this weekend ahead of final construction phase

A section of the Gardiner Expressway will be off-limits to drivers this weekend as road crews transition to the final phase of rehabilitation work along the elevated portion of the roadway.

Construction on the Gardiner is transitioning from the north to the south half of the expressway at 5 a.m. on Monday, which the City said will “fully close” the roadway between Jarvis and Cherry streets.

But before that construction can start, there will be traffic restrictions on the Gardiner from the DVP to Jarvis Street this weekend so that crews can safely move the work zone.

In a release, the City said from from 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. on Saturday drivers won’t be able to travel on the westbound lanes from the DVP to Jarvis. Drivers heading southbound on the DVP will need to exit at Richmond Street or Lake Shore East to continue travelling westbound.

Then on Sunday, the eastbound lanes from Jarvis to the DVP will be off-limits to drivers from 12:01 a.m. on Sunday. The eastbound on-ramps at Bay and Rees streets will also be closed. Drivers travelling to the DVP will have to access it by the Don Roadway through Cherry, Villiers or Commissioners streets since they won’t be able to turn left onto the Don Roadway from Lake Shore East.

“Crews will primarily work around-the-clock on a 24/7 basis to accelerate the project and reduce the length of construction. The majority of the most disruptive work should be completed by 11 p.m. most days. However, in some instances disruptive work must be performed overnight for the safety of crews and the travelling public,” the City said in the release.

Once construction starts next week, Lake Shore East will be reduced to one lane in each direction between Parliament and Jarvis streets from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday, from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Friday to Sunday, and from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday to Thursday.

The westbound Yonge-Bay-York ramp has been closed since April 18, but will reopen at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday.

As a result of the Gardiner restrictions, road closures for ActiveTO have been cancelled along the eastbound Lake Shore this weekend. The eastbound lanes will remain open between Leslie Street and Woodbine Avenue, as will Bayview Avenue from Front Street to Rosedale Valley Road. However, the westbound Lake Shore from Windermere Avenue to the Exhibition grounds will still be in place starting Saturday morning.