Next phase of Gardiner construction to last until 2027. Here’s when to expect the closures

The Gardiner Expressway is a slow drive at the best of times, but starting Monday lane restrictions along the western portion of the raised expressway, between Dufferin Street and Strachan Avenue, are expected to cause commuters traffic pain until 2027.

This is the next phase of the City of Toronto’s Gardiner Expressway Strategic Rehabilitation Plan.

Here are approximate dates for the closures (provided by the City)

Monday, March 25 to Sunday, April 14

• One lane (either eastbound or westbound) between Dufferin and Strachan will be closed for pre-construction work with intermittent overnight closures of a second lane as required.
• During the eastbound lane closures, the eastbound on-ramp from Lake Shore Boulevard east of Jameson Avenue will also be closed.

Friday, March 29 to Sunday, March 31

• All lanes will be open over Easter weekend.

Saturday, April 6 to 11:59 p.m. on Monday, April 8

• All lanes will be open.

From mid-April until mid-2027

• The Gardiner will be reduced to two lanes in each direction between Dufferin and Strachan with intermittent additional lane closures as required.
• The eastbound on-ramp from Lake Shore Boulevard east of Jameson Avenue will also be closed.

In 2026, from May to the end of July

• The Gardiner will be fully open to accommodate increased traffic during the FIFA World Cup

“This is critical work. The Gardner Expressway is 60 years old and it’s time for us to make these major repairs and we’re working to make sure that our contractor operates as efficiently and effectively as possible to get the work done,” said Jennifer Graham Harkness, chief engineer for the City of Toronto.

The City said route diversions, traffic agents, adjustments to signal timings and other technology will be used to improve congestion around the construction zones.

“We are anticipating and planning for increases in traffic congestion as this critical construction work gets underway. But the congestion management strategies we’ll be using, alongside the public’s use of alternative travel methods will alleviate delays as much as possible,” said Roger Browne, the City’s director of traffic management.

City officials said construction would take place primarily Monday to Saturday, from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Road crews will be replacing 700 metres of the elevated bridge, rehabilitating the structures underneath that support the expressway, and adding a new traffic management system and streetlights.

Other work that may be required at night includes girder removal and replacement, and shifting of traffic barriers between work stages alongwith the delivery of materials.

“The rehabilitation of this stretch is complex as the roadway is elevated, very narrow and busy. Drivers may not see workers along the Gardiner during road closures, as much of the work will be done from underneath,” the City said in a release.

Phase two of Gardiner construction

In February, city officials had said phase two of construction on the aging expressway would start in the spring and continue until 2027.

At the time, a city spokesperson said work on the underside of the Gardiner began in November 2023.

The six-phase rehabilitation project was approved by Toronto City Council between 2014 and 2016.

Phase one of the project between Jarvis and Cherry Streets was completed in April 2021, with phase two initially planned to begin later that year. However, multiple delays caused the City to adjust its timeline for the whole project.

Last year, the Ford government and the City reached a deal to have the province upload the costs of the Gardiner and the Don Valley Parkway, which would free the city from the costs of maintaining the two major highways.

But, it is unclear how the agreement will impact the overall cost of the maintenance work and which level of government would fund it.

The initial estimated cost of the full Gardiner rehabilitation work was pegged at around $2.5 billion but has since been revised to an estimated $3.6 billion.

With files from Kyle Hocking and Momin Qureshi