Maintenance work to close Gardiner Expressway for 35 hours this weekend
Posted September 13, 2024 6:35 pm.
Last Updated September 20, 2024 11:08 am.
Drivers already frustrated with the construction that has affected their commute along the Gardiner Expressway are going to have to pack their patience this weekend.
The City of Toronto says the expressway is scheduled to be closed from 11 p.m. on Sept. 20 until 10 a.m. on Sept. 22 for maintenance, cleaning and inspections in order to ensure the long-term safety and reliability of the roadway.
Currently one westbound and one eastbound lane are closed between Dufferin Street and Strachan Avenue as part of the long-term construction plan on the Expressway. The eastbound on-ramp from Lake Shore Boulevard at Jameson Avenue is also closed as part of this phase of the work which is scheduled to go until 2027.
According to City officials, the 35-hour closure will be less of a disruption for motorists as crews will complete work equivalent to that of more than 30 overnight lane closures.
Among the work being done by multiple City divisions and Toronto Hydro simultaneously is the resurfacing of all three lanes across multiple stretches of the expressway, crack and pothole repairs, replacement of 1.4 kilometres of guide rail, replacement of signage and lighting, and clearing catch basins to prevent flooding.
Sections of the Gardiner will reopen in phases as work is completed.
A statement says work crews will also use the closure to conduct repairs on the Dufferin Street bridge over the Gardiner Expressway.
The York Street on-ramp will also be closed for construction over the same period as crews complete concrete and asphalt repairs to the ramp. The ramp will reopen by 5 a.m. on Sept. 23 ahead of the morning commute.
City officials say during the weekend closure, a comprehensive traffic management plan will be in place to mitigate traffic congestion on alternate routes along east-west corridors.
If your plan to get into the city and avoid the Gardiner construction involves taking GO Transit, you’ll need patience for that as well.
Metrolinx says GO train service along the Lakeshore West line will be hourly that weekend due to maintenance and infrastructure work.
