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City of Toronto Media Relations has issued the following:
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News Release

December 20, 2024

City of Toronto to advance critical bridge repairs ahead of next stage of Gardiner Expressway rehabilitation plan

Today, the City of Toronto announced it will begin critical repair work on five bridges in spring 2025, as part of the next stage of the Gardiner Expressway Strategic Rehabilitation Plan, to ensure they remain in a state of good repair.

Rehabilitation work on Section 3 of the Gardiner Expressway, which runs from Highway 427 to the Humber River, is scheduled to take place from 2027 to 2031. However, five bridges in Section 3 have been identified for an advanced start after condition assessments noted critical repairs that need to be completed ahead of the 2027-2031 timeline.

The Ontario government will fund the replacement of the Gardiner Expressway overpasses at Park Lawn Road and Mimico Creek and the westbound on-ramp from Park Lawn Road over Mimico Creek as part of the Ontario-Toronto New Deal, which includes a provincial commitment to upload the Gardiner Expressway and the Don Valley Parkway to the Ontario government, subject to a third-party due diligence assessment. The City will fund repairs to the Kipling Avenue and Islington Avenue bridges over the Gardiner Expressway.

The contract for the bridge repairs will be advertised in early January so that work can begin in spring 2025. Construction will be paused from May to July 2026 to accommodate the increased traffic anticipated during the FIFA World Cup™ and is expected to be completed by December 2026.

This project will incorporate acceleration measures and congestion management tools from the current work on Section 2 of the Gardiner Expressway between Dufferin Street and Strachan Avenue, including early completion incentives, enabling crews to work up to 24 hours a day, seven days a week as required to meet the compressed construction timelines, temporary turning lane modifications and other construction and traffic management measures.

Extensive work was done during the design phase to ensure lane closures are kept to a minimum. The City is anticipating the following lane and ramp restrictions during phases of the bridge repair work:
• Eastbound Gardiner Expressway lanes from Mimico Creek to Park Lawn Road will be narrowed with no lane reductions.
• Westbound Gardiner Expressway from Park Lawn Road to Mimico Creek will be reduced from four lanes to three lanes (for approximately one year).
• Park Lawn Road, where it passes under the Gardiner Expressway, will be reduced to a single lane for an estimated two-month period in each direction.
• Kipling Avenue and Islington Avenue will be reduced from six lanes to four lanes where they pass over the Gardiner Expressway (for approximately eight months).
• Full closure of the Park Lawn Road on-ramp to westbound Gardiner Expressway (November 2025 to April 2026).

Advancing this critical project is necessary to maintain the safety and reliability of the Gardiner Expressway and will be done while balancing the needs of road users with those of residents and businesses in the nearby area.

The City is working closely with the nearby Ontario Food Terminal to minimize impact to its operations, which are vital to food distribution across Ontario, by aligning the construction schedule with the low season at the Terminal and providing a dedicated detour route for the Terminal’s truck traffic.

About the F.G. Gardiner Expressway
The Gardiner Expressway plays a vital role in the city’s local and regional transportation network and helps to sustain the country's economy through the movement of goods in and out of Toronto. Advancing this critical project will help to ensure the safety and reliability of the Gardiner Expressway and will be done while balancing traffic management and stakeholder needs.

Construction on Section 2 of the Gardiner Expressway Rehabilitation Plan (Dufferin Street to Strachan Avenue) began in November 2023 with the first lane closures in March 2024. In July 2024, the City and Province announced plans to accelerate the construction work to move the construction completion date from April 2027 to at least April 2026.

Stage 1 of the Gardiner Expressway Section 2 rehabilitation work was completed four months ahead of the original, pre-acceleration schedule, helping to meet the revised April 2026 accelerated timeline.

The City remains committed to working closely with the Ontario government and other interested parties to identify acceleration opportunities with a common goal to relieve traffic congestion and manage the complexities of the work while minimizing impacts to the driving public and local residents and managing overall project costs.

More information about the Gardiner Expressway Strategic Rehabilitation Plan is on the City’s website: www.toronto.ca/gardiner-expressway/gardiner-expressway-rehabilitation-strategy.

Quote:

“The Gardiner is old and falling apart. We must upgrade it to keep it safe and keep Toronto moving. We are working hard to ease congestion for those living and working in the area.”
- Mayor Olivia Chow

Toronto is home to more than three million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture, innovation and climate action, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses. For more information, visit www.toronto.ca or follow us on X at x.com/cityoftoronto, on Instagram at www.instagram.com/cityofto or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cityofto.

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Media contact: Media Relations, media@toronto.ca

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