Gardiner Expressway fully reopens 18 months ahead of schedule between Dufferin and Strachan

Commuters received welcome news Monday morning as all six lanes of the Gardiner Expressway between Dufferin Street and Strachan Avenue reopened to traffic — a full 18 months ahead of the original construction schedule.

The reopening followed a weekend closure that began after Game 2 of the World Series at Rogers Centre. Crews worked to complete the final phase of deck and girder replacement on the busy downtown stretch, allowing traffic to flow freely in both directions earlier than expected.

The work was fast-tracked thanks to a $73-million investment from the provincial government.

“All six lanes of the Gardiner between Dufferin [Street] and Strachan [Avenue] are open this morning. Thank you to the crews working 24/7 and to all residents for your patience,” Mayor Olivia Chow wrote on X.

Last month, the City of Toronto announced that the construction project was six months ahead of the last expected completion date.

Another closure is tentatively planned for next weekend

Another closure on the same stretch between Highway 427 and Spadina Avenue is planned for Saturday, Nov. 1, but the timing will be dependent on the Toronto Blue Jays’ schedule, should the World Series go to a deciding Game 7, which would be played at the Rogers Centre.

Should that shutdown happen, the Gardiner Expressway will be closed from Spadina Avenue to Highway 427, and all six lanes will reopen by approximately 7 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 3, in time for the morning rush hour.

“We’re almost there: the eastbound lanes have temporary asphalt that will be replaced next Sunday [Nov. 2],” Chow said. “That’s one more Sunday of work.”

CityNews reported last week that the reopening of the Gardiner Expressway between Dufferin Street and Strachan Avenue could be delayed until Monday, Nov. 10. The province’s transportation minister attributed the delay to the Blue Jays’ World Series games.

The reopening marks the completion of the second phase of the Gardiner Expressway Strategic Rehabilitation Plan, a long-term project adopted by City Council in 2016 to overhaul the aging highway in six sections. The first phase, from Jarvis to Cherry Streets, was completed in 2021.

In June 2024, a study revealed that travel times on the Gardiner Expressway had increased by up to 250 per cent in the morning rush hour (7 to 10 a.m.) and by 230 per cent in the afternoon rush hour.