Gardiner Expressway construction four months ahead of schedule

Crews working on the Gardiner Expressway reached a major milestone in the rehabilitation project with Mayor Olivia Chow saying the project is four months ahead of schedule.

“That is worthy of celebration,” said the mayor who appeared with Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria late Wednesday night to give an update on the work being done on the expressway.

In July, the Ford government said it was providing up to $73 million to help speed up repairs on the busy Toronto highway, so long as the work could be done around the clock. Doing so would enable the project to be completed by April 2026 rather than April 2027.

“What you have seen behind me is this incredible team, almost 100 people working around the clock …and this is really about making sure we’re doing everything we can to speed up this project,” said Sarkaria.

The province announced in November that it was taking responsibility for the Gardiner Expressway, as well as the Don Valley Parkway in Toronto as part of a deal with the city to help alleviate its financial problems. In exchange, Toronto conceded the province could move ahead with its plans for a redeveloped Ontario Place on the city’s waterfront.

The current work phase involves replacing 700 metres of the roadway’s structure between Dufferin Street and Strachan Avenue. It’s part a six-phase rehabilitation project which was approved by Toronto City Council between 2014 and 2016.

The Gardiner will be fully open to accommodate increased traffic during Toronto’s hosting of the FIFA World Cup in May of 2026.

A recent study by a transportation analytics firm found that travel times on the Gardiner have increased up to 250 per cent during the morning rush hour and 230 per cent in the afternoon rush hour. The top three alternate routes — Harbour Street, Lakeshore Boulevard, and Cherry Street — have seen an average traffic increase of 43 per cent.