If you regularly rely on the Gardiner Expressway to get to and from work, you might want to consider taking alternative routes for the next three years, as the City is gearing up to deliver critical rehabilitation work on the 60-year-old route that is reaching the "end of its service life." 

Starting Monday, March 25, lane restrictions will begin on the highway between Dufferin Street and Strachan Avenue as part of the next phase of Toronto's Gardiner Expressway Strategic Rehabilitation Plan. 

According to the City, the aging highway is in desperate need of critical repair work due to the effects of heavy daily use, weather and salt. 

Until 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. 

Luckily, from Friday, March 29 to Sunday, March 31, all lanes of the Gardiner will open to accommodate heavy traffic over the Easter weekend. All lanes will also be open from Saturday, April 6 at 11:59 p.m. to Monday, April 8. 

From mid-April until mid-2027, the Gardiner will then 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.

Toronto highway will grind to a crawl for three years and people are already dreading it https://t.co/YjPgtiZALj

— blogTO (@blogTO) February 13, 2024

To keep traffic flowing during construction, the City will use a detailed congestion management plan that includes diversions, traffic agents and signal timing adjustments. 

The construction, which will primarily take place Mondays to Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., includes replacing 700 metres of the elevated bridge surface on the Expressway, rehabilitating the structures underneath that support the elevated highway, as well as adding a new traffic management system and streetlights. 

Other work, including girder removal and replacement, shifting of traffic barriers between work stages, and the delivery of materials, may be required at night.

As the rehabilitation of the busy stretch is complex and the roadway is elevated, drivers may not see workers along the Gardiner during road closures, considering that much of the work will be done from underneath. 

The City noted that the highway will be fully open with no lane restrictions to accommodate the increased traffic anticipated during the FIFA World Cup from May to July 2026.