Gardiner Expressway work being sped up in bid to ease ‘painful congestion’

Construction on the Gardiner Expressway could be finished a year early after the Ontario government announced it would chip in more funds to help Toronto speed up the repairs.

In an announcement on Wednesday, Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said the province would give $73 million to Toronto on the condition that work may be allowed to proceed up to a 24/7 basis.

“Ontario’s investment will support contractors working 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with multiple shifts per day,” the government said.

The government added the accelerated timeline would move the current construction completion date to “at least” April 2026 from April 2027.

The Gardiner Expressway has been reduced by one lane in each direction between Strachan Avenue and Dufferin Avenue since this spring. The current phase of work involves a full demolition of that stretch and rebuilding of 700 metres of elevated roadway as well as rehabilitating the supporting structures and adding a new traffic management system and streetlights.

They added that the ramped-up schedule “will benefit Ontario’s economy by an estimated $273 million by getting drivers and goods out of gridlock a year faster than planned.”

1:58 Speed of Gardiner overhaul questioned at Toronto City Council

In addition, the funding agreement will also help improve traffic flow by making modifications of the Jameson to westbound Gardiner on-ramp, and opening a left-turn lane at Spadina Avenue from Lake Shore Boulevard West, as well as relaxing noise restrictions and overnight lane closures.

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“Together with the provincial government, we can rebuild the Gardiner Expressway more quickly and ease the painful congestion in downtown Toronto,” said Mayor Olivia Chow.

The rehabilitation project that started this spring has led to a dramatic spike in rush hour delays and emissions, a new analysis showed.

The project has led to a 250 per cent jump in morning rush hour travel times, and a 230 per cent increase in afternoon rush hour commutes, data from Geotab ITS reveals.

In May, Chow told reporters the city is doing “everything” it can to mitigate the Gardiner disruptions.

The closures on the more than 60-year-old expressway were originally set to be in place for the next three years, and would only lift temporarily in 2026 for the FIFA World Cup.

— with files from Aaron D’Andrea

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