Summer construction season underway early in Toronto

May 20, 2020

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Over the next couple weeks, the City of Toronto will begin construction on key projects to renew and improve aging infrastructure.

Gardiner Expressway Strategic Rehabilitation – Jarvis Street to Cherry Street, eastbound on-ramp at Jarvis Street replacement:

The Gardiner Expressway eastbound on-ramp at Jarvis Street will closed May 18 for replacement and will reopen once the project is completed in 2021. This construction is the second to last phase of work to rehabilitate the expressway between Jarvis and Cherry Streets and will use an innovated construction technique, accelerated bridge construction, to remove sections of the ramp and replace it with custom built pre-fabricated sections.
During this construction, drivers should consider using alternate routes such as the eastbound Bay Street on-ramp, Lakeshore Boulevard East or the Don Roadway to the Don Valley Parkway.
Later this summer, crews will move to the final phase of construction, which will replace the south half of the expressway deck.

Bathurst Street from Front Street West to Fort York Boulevard, bridge and TTC track rehabilitation:

From May 25 to the end of December 2020, Bathurst Street from Fort York Boulevard to Front Street West will be fully closed to vehicular and cycling traffic as crews work to rehabilitate the Bathurst Street bridge and replace the TTC streetcar tracks.
To minimize disruption and avoid returning to the area in consecutive years, this construction has been bundled together with two other projects on Bathurst Street. Crews will replace a 144-year-old watermain on Bathurst Street from Front Street West to Queen Street West from June to December as well as replace the TTC streetcar tracks between Wolseley Street and Dundas Street West from September to October 2020.

Church Street at Richmond Street East, watermain TTC track replacement:

Earlier this week, crews began preparatory work at Church Street and Richmond Street East to replace a 143-year-old watermain before beginning work to replace the TTC streetcar tracks. The entire project is anticipated to be completed by the end of June.
This first phase of work will replace the watermain in the intersection of Church Street and Richmond Street East and the intersection will be reduced to two lanes of traffic and the bike lane will be closed. Cyclists are advised to merge with traffic on Richmond Street East to proceed through the intersection.
The second phase of work will replace the TTC track and will require the full closure of the Church Street and Richmond Street East intersection from early June until the project is completed at the end of June. During the closure, westbound traffic on Richmond Street East is advised to divert at Sherbourne Street and use Queen Street East or King Street East to travel westbound through Church Street.
While traffic volumes are lower, these projects will be accelerated by crews working extended hours, the City alleviating restrictions on roads and intersections during peak and off-peak hours, and working with contractors on other potential ways to accelerate work and complete these projects within a fast-tracked schedule.