The impending summer traffic nightmare in Toronto begins early this year with major work on Queen West. The street will be reduced to one lane of traffic in either direction between Bathurst and Spadina until October 9.

The loss of traffic lanes will be painful enough, but the more significant issue will be diversions to the 501 and 301 streetcars, which will have to cut down to King St. between Shaw and Spadina during the construction period. There will be shuttle buses serving the stretch during the streetcar diversions, though that will only increase vehicular congestion.

The work being done on the street is not, however, TTC related. The lane reductions are part of plans to replace water mains and reconstruct the road surface in the area. Anyone riding a bike through this stretch will know that the latter has been needed for sometime.

In other words, it's standard-issue road repairs, but its effect will be felt particularly strongly because of other road closures/restrictions downtown this summer.

Photo by Michael Harvie in the blogTO Flickr pool.