gardiner closed

Drivers angry after Toronto highway shut down longer than expected

Two of Toronto's major arteries, the Gardiner Expressway and the Don Valley Parkway (DVP), were shut down throughout Sunday to make way for thousands of cyclists participating in the Bike for Brain Health charity ride, which raises funds to defeat dementia. 

Both the Gardiner and the DVP were scheduled to be closed in both directions from 2 a.m. to 4 p.m., however, many drivers expressed disappointment after the closures remained beyond the scheduled end time. 

Those who opted for transit instead also experienced lengthy wait times as the significant closures resulted in congestion on nearby routes. 

The northbound DVP was the first to reopen around 5 p.m., and the eastbound Gardiner followed suit shortly after at 5:30 p.m. However, it wasn't until 6:30 p.m. that the westbound Gardiner and southbound DVP reopened, leading to lots of confusion about the hold-up. 

Although drivers were warned to expect significant delays on Sunday, some began to question the logistics of hosting major bike rides in high-traffic areas in Toronto. 

However, some who live in close proximity to the major routes — and as a result, deal with constant noise and pollution —were relieved to finally get some peace and quiet. 

A police source told CityNews that the private company in charge of managing the closures "was delayed in reopening the highways and removing the barricades." 

Lead photo by

Bike For Brain Health


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