The Gardiner will be under construction for 3 years in Toronto

If your commute to Toronto wasn’t slow enough, drivers will likely face more delays for the next three years on the Gardiner Expressway.

Beginning next week on Monday, March 25, there will be lane restrictions on the Gardiner Expressway between Dufferin Street and Strachan Avenue, the City of Toronto said in a press release.

This portion of the road is undergoing “critical rehabilitation” work as the more than 60-year-old route is reaching its end of service life, the city said.

Preparatory work on this portion of the Gardiner began in November 2023 and construction is expected to continue until mid-2027.

The construction work will primarily take place Monday to Saturday, from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.

The work includes replacing 700 metres of the elevated bridge surface on the expressway, rehabilitating the structures underneath that support the elevated expressway, and adding a new traffic management system and streetlights.

“This construction is urgently needed to keep traffic flowing and keep our communities connected,” Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said in the press release. “The City is committed to completing this section of work to ensure a state of good repair for generations to come as we focus on getting Toronto back on track.”

Those travelling in and out of Toronto should expect the following road impacts with approximate dates:

• Monday, March 25 to Sunday, April 14: One lane (either eastbound or westbound) will be closed for pre-construction work with intermittent overnight closures of a second lane as required. During the eastbound lane closures, the eastbound on-ramp from Lake Shore Boulevard east of Jameson Avenue will also be closed to facilitate this work.
• Friday, March 29 to Sunday, March 31: All lanes will be open over Easter weekend.
• Saturday, April 6 to 11:59 p.m. on Monday, April 8: All lanes will be open.
• From mid-April until mid-2027: The Gardiner Expressway will be reduced to two lanes in each direction between Dufferin Street and Strachan Avenue with intermittent additional lane closures as required. The eastbound on-ramp from Lake Shore Boulevard east of Jameson Avenue will also be closed.

This follows construction for the QEW/Credit River Improvement Project that has been impacting commuters through Mississauga.