Motorists are being braced for more waiting and traffic congestion on the Gardiner Expressway as west-end bridges are being rehabilitated.
Motorists can face more traffic congestion nightmares than expected as early as this summer on the Gardiner Expressway.
City plans are underway to rehabilitate five busy bridges over the Gardiner Expressway that runs from Highway 27 east to Humber River in South Etobicoke.
The major work was adopted by a General Government Committee on February 25, according to City records.
The Gardiner, which already has construction underway, is one of the busiest highways in Canada.
It appears the contract may go to EllisDon Civil Ltd., who submitted a winning bid of about $60 million.
The giant company has been ‘the supplier with the lowest compliant bid meeting the specifications and requirements of a Request for Tender.’
It is not known for sure when the job may begin or end.
The City said to curb traffic congestion and noise they are asking the company work 24-hours seven days a week to finish the job quickly without much disruption. Lanes are already reduced with major work already underway on the Expressway.
One of the west-end bridges that is being rehabilitated by workers toiling 24-hours seven days a week.
The work, which will take more than a year, will rehabilitate the bridges where the Gardiner meets Kipling Avenue, Islington Avenue, Parklawn Road, Mimico Creek and west-bound on-ramp over Mimico Creek.
The bridges are major connections for west-end residents to access the already busy highway.
Construction is expected to begin this month and is slated to be completed by November next year, with a pause for the FIFA soccer tournament between May 2026 and July 2026.
Get ready to see more construction zones on the Expressway.
The Ontario government will fund the replacement of most of the bridges as part of the Ontario-Toronto New Deal.
The deal includes a provincial commitment to upload the Gardiner Expressway and the Don Valley Parkway to the Ontario government. Toronto will pay for repairs to the Kipling Avenue and Islington Avenue bridges.
Toronto is one of the worst city for traffic congestion in North America and the average driver can lose up to 63 hours yearly due to the traffic jams, according to recent studies.
In recent weeks entire NHL teams were forced to leave their bus and walk to Scotiabank Arena or they would be late for games due to a lack of downtown traffic movement.