Ontario says it is providing up to $73 million to ensure construction crews rehabilitating Toronto’s aging Gardiner Expressway can work 24/7, moving up the expected completion time for the project by one year.
The accelerated timeline means the ongoing work could be finished by April 2026, rather than April 2027, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow and Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said Wednesday.
Construction started in March to refurbish the 60-year-old highway and portions of its elevated structure that run through Toronto’s downtown core. The scope of the project includes demolishing and rebuilding a 700-metre stretch of elevated roadway from Dufferin Street to Strachan Avenue.
The $300-million undertaking is part of a larger multi-billion dollar effort to save the roadway. It was previously expected the work would require rotating lane closures for the next three years.
About 140,000 drivers use the Gardiner Expressway each day, according to the province. The current construction has reduced the highway’s capacity by about a third.
“We know the rehabilitation of the Gardener is taking a toll on Ontario families and businesses, with rush hour travel times more than doubling,” Sarkaria said.
The funding injection from the province will also be used for several measures intended to improve traffic flow in the area, including:
- Modifying the westbound on-ramp from Jameson Avenue.
- Opening a left-turn lane from Lake Shore Boulevard East to Spadina Avenue.
- Reducing the number of overnight lane closures.
Toronto city council will debate the revised plan for the rehabilitation of the Gardiner at a meeting later Wednesday.
More to come.