If you live or commute in Toronto, you know how horrible rush-hour traffic can be. Unfortunately, things will likely worsen for the 200,000 daily cars that take the Gardiner Expressway. As of mid-April, a 700-metre stretch of the infamous highway runs on only two lanes. These restrictions are to continue until mid-2027. The two lanes between Dufferin Street and Strachan Avenue will be affected in each direction, with intermittent additional lane closures as required. On top of this, the eastbound on-ramp from Lake Shore Boulevard east of Jameson Avenue will also be seeing a temporary closure. The eastbound on-ramp from Lake Shore Boulevard east of Jameson Avenue will also temporarily close. So, what does this mean for already poor traffic conditions? How will this affect your daily commute? We discuss the changes below.
Gardiner Expressway users worry about traffic
With these lane reductions taking place, many commuters worry about the influx in traffic. “It’s going to be chaos,” Nellie Carol told CTV News Toronto. Carol is a resident of the Toronto Harbourfront.
Even before the closure, Carol says traffic in the area was bad due to the lane reduction in the eastbound lanes. “When I was travelling Westbound, I could see the traffic was backed up from Yonge Street all the way back to the 427. It was like a parking lot,” she said.
Some commute times are almost doubling
Carol isn’t the only commuter expressing frustration with the closures. Mary Ann Torres, who commutes from Park Lawn Road in Etobicoke to Strachan Avenue, says her trip has more than doubled to 45 minutes. She believes that if the traffic continues, she might have no choice but to find a new job. “Public transportation or alternative routes (Lakeshore, Queensway) are also affected,” she told CTV News Toronto.“I wish the city had a better plan that comprehensively addresses the need to fix the infrastructure and mitigates the impact.”
What work is being done on the Gardiner Expressway?
Crews are currently working Monday to Saturday from 7 AM to 11 PM to complete the $300 million project. This involves replacing 700 meters of the elevated bridge and rehabilitating the supports on the Gardiner Expressway. On top of this, new streetlights will be added. At night, other work may need to continue, including girder removal/replacement and shifting traffic barriers between stages. Lauren, another commuter, tells CTV News that her drive into the city is more than double the time. She commutes from South Etobicoke to Midtown Toronto for work. The first lane closure in the eastbound lanes resulted in her commute being twice as long.
“From 35-40 to 70-80 minutes, three days a week,” she told CP24. “Lakeshore, Gardiner, and routes through the city are all a mess, and Google Maps quotes for travel duration have become completely unreliable. I understand the work needs to be completed, but why during such critical times of the day?”
Work on the Gardiner is critical
When asked about the increase in commute times, the city says they have plans for it. Jennifer Graham Harkness, Chief Engineer at the City of Toronto says that the traffic increase is expected.
“This is critical work. The Gardiner Expressway is 60 years old and it’s time for us to make these major repairs” states Harkness. “We’re working to make sure that our contractor operates as efficiently and effectively as possible to get the work done.” According to the city, route diversions, traffic agents, and other technology will be used to make sure congestion stays minimal.
“We are anticipating and planning for increases in traffic congestion as this critical construction work gets underway. But the congestion management strategies we’ll be using, alongside the public’s use of alternative travel methods, will alleviate delays as much as possible,” says Roger Browne, Director of Traffic Management at the City of Toronto.
Gardiner Expressway construction: Conclusion
With the influx in traffic, making sure you drive safely is as crucial as ever. We’ll keep this article up-to-date with any new developments during this project. For traffic safety tips, check out our safe driving habits every driver should follow. Remember, isure is your provider for getting you the best rates with top-notch customer service to match. Contact us or request a car insurance quote today!
