Toronto council to vote on 7-year road closure plan for Ontario Line construction

Toronto’s traffic woes are set to get a lot worse after the City’s executive committee amended a construction plan for the Ontario Line that, if ultimately approved by council, will lead to seven years of road closures in the downtown core.

The plan reviewed by the committee on Tuesday included a complete closure of Queen Street between Bay and Victoria streets for four years beginning in 2023.

The subway line, first proposed by the Ford government in 2019, will have 15 stations and trains will run between the Ontario Science Centre and Exhibition Place.

Six of the new stations will be located downtown and officials said that means lane, sidewalk, and bike lane closures will be needed at several major intersections, including Bathurst Street and King Street West, Spadina Avenue and Queen Street and Parliament and King Street East.

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The report put forward to the executive committee found the closures on Queen Street will displace about 1,000 cars per hour during the weekday morning and afternoon rush hours. Meanwhile, during peak construction times on Richmond street, cars were estimated to be travelling about 3.9 km/h on average.

Transit users will also be feeling the impacts of construction downtown. City staff said approximately 15,000 TTC customers will face diversions on the 501 Queen streetcar every day.

In an effort to maintain streetcar service, officials said tracks will be installed on York Street between Queen Street West and Adelaide Street West to divert around the construction.

If the plan is approved, the City of Toronto will seek reimbursement from Metrolinx for costs associated with the transit diversion efforts.

The report with amended recommendations will be voted on by city council on Dec. 15.

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With files from Tammie Sutherland.