DVP, sections of Gardiner reopen following severe flooding

Sections of the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway (DVP) that were forced to close for many hours Tuesday afternoon due to flooding have slowly started to reopen.

Toronto received more than a month’s worth of rain over the span of a few hours amid a rainfall warning from Environment Canada that called for “extremely heavy rain” with the potential for 125 millimetres in some areas.

More rain is expected between 6 p.m. and midnight.

The DVP was closed between Bayview Avenue and Bloor Street for hours as a result of the record rainfall.

The northbound DVP was reopened at around 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday. The southbound portion of the highway was expected to be cleared by 6 a.m. A section of the Gardiner Expressway that was sheltered off for hours between Jarvis Street and the DVP was also cleared.

City crews in Toronto were expected to need three to four hours after the water subsides to clean debris off the roads. Call volumes have returned to normal for emergency operations.

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Provincial police say Highway 410 southbound under Highway 401 is closed due to flooding. It is expected to be closed for the next 24 hours for cleanup.

“We have reports of multiple locations across the GTA flooding highways due to the heavy rain. Please drive to the conditions, slow down and put your full headlight system on,” read a tweet from OPP.

In Mississauga, several roads and trails have been closed due to flooding as well. A full list can be found on their website.

Firefighters checked almost 50 cars on Queen Frederica Drive to ensure nobody was stranded in the vehicles. Several rescues went on throughout the city.

They urged everyone to avoid stormwater facilities, conduits, streams, and rivers, as many are either at peak levels or have overflowed.

Toronto Pearson said the flooding affected some of the roadways surrounding the airport as well.

Convair Drive is closed in both directions between Britannia Road East and Flightline Drive and will remain closed for approximately two days to allow water to clear.

Travellers are asked to use alternate routes to travel to the airport. Airport operations have not been affected.

TTC, GO trains also affected

Several TTC stations were forced to close on Tuesday morning due to heavy rain, but all service has resumed.

Several bus and streetcar routes were diverted across the city due to water pooling on the roads.

GO Transit issued a statement saying some services may be modified or delayed due to weather conditions. Delays, cancellations, and modifications are expected.

Some Lakeshore West trains were cancelled, and they did not stop at Exhibition or Long Branch.

“In areas where there may be pooling water, please use extra caution and report any safety issues to staff on-site or by texting ‘help’ to 77777,” GO Transit said.

“Your safety is our priority, and we will continue to monitor the weather and provide updates to your service as changes are made.”