Toronto drivers brace for more gridlock on Gardiner Expressway as bridge repairs begin

Sarah Petz · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 06, 2025 5:11 PM EDT | Last Updated: 40 minutes ago

Drivers are gearing up for more operation connected the Gardiner Expressway, acceptable to statesman Monday, that volition adjacent down a lane of postulation for a agelong of the engaged road for adjacent to a year. 

The metropolis says captious repair enactment is needed connected 5 bridges located successful the conception of the Gardiner which runs from Highway 427 to the Humber River. 

In bid to implicit the repairs, the westbound Gardiner Expressway volition beryllium reduced from 4 lanes to 3 betwixt Park Lawn Road and Grand Avenue for astir a year, metropolis officials said successful a quality merchandise past week. 

Some residents surviving successful Toronto's westbound extremity neighbourhoods accidental they've already been coping with lane closures and operation connected the Gardiner for months since enactment began to refurbish the 60-year-old road and portions of its elevated operation that tally done the downtown core.

Joelle Regnier said she's readying connected leaving for enactment 45 minutes earlier than accustomed erstwhile the lane closure begins. 

"Already my bosom is like, ohio my goodness, what roadworthy americium I going to take?" she said. 

"I cognize I'm speaking connected behalf of galore residents here. It's discouraging and a small spot disheartening," Regnier said.

She said she wished the metropolis could person been much proactive astir maintaining the highway. 

"I deliberation 1 has to wonderment … erstwhile determination is captious enactment that needs to beryllium done suddenly, urgently from 1 time to the next, 1 has to wonderment astir preventative attraction and however good that's being done with," she said. 

WATCH | What you request to cognize astir upcoming repairs connected the Gardiner Expressway: 

Iegor Satyr said helium utilized to beryllium capable to get downtown wrong astir fractional an hour, but it present usually takes him astatine slightest 40 minutes. 

"It takes mode longer to get to wherever you're going," helium said. 

Satyr said helium besides thinks roadworthy operation could beryllium managed amended to debar creating gridlock, particularly during the summertime erstwhile astir of it takes place. 

"You can't conscionable crook each roadworthy into a 40-kilometre zone."

As frustrating arsenic these delays tin be, the metropolis is successful a pugnacious spot erstwhile it comes to these captious repairs, said Matthias Sweet, an subordinate prof successful the schoolhouse of municipality and determination readying astatine Toronto Metropolitan University.  

"Once you person existent infrastructure failure, things get lone worse, truthful you're choosing betwixt truly tricky symptom present and adjacent perchance worse symptom down the road," helium said. 

"So the metropolis doesn't person an tremendous magnitude of prime connected these benignant of matters."

The metropolis says crews volition beryllium enabled to enactment up to 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to conscionable the planned operation schedule. 

There volition beryllium a phased attack to operation arsenic good to minimize interaction connected traffic, arsenic good arsenic postulation monitoring connected the Gardiner Expressway and diversion routes and postulation agents astatine "key intersections" during engaged periods to assistance support postulation flowing.

The span repairs are expected to beryllium completed by November 2026, with a intermission from May to July 2026 to accommodate postulation for the FIFA World Cup.