The ramp from the eastbound Gardiner Expressway to York, Bay and Yonge Streets will be closed permanently as of Monday, April 17 at 5 a.m. The ramp will be replaced with a shorter ramp from the eastbound Gardiner Expressway to Lower Simcoe Street that will open in January 2018.
As part of the project, Harbour Street will be widened to four lanes from Lower Simcoe Street to Bay Street to accommodate traffic and improve pedestrian and cycling access to the waterfront.
During the construction work, motorists will still have full access to downtown by exiting the eastbound Gardiner Expressway at the Jameson Avenue, Spadina Avenue and Jarvis Street ramps. In addition, motorists will be able to access eastbound Lake Shore Boulevard from the eastbound Gardiner Expressway ramp at Spadina Avenue beginning Monday, April 10.
Harbour Street will be reduced to two lanes of traffic through the construction area. From May 1 to June 15, there will be periodic daytime (9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.) closures of the centre lane of Harbour Street from Lower Simcoe Street to Bay Street. These daytime closures will prevent the need for extensive overnight demolition work.
During the demolition of the ramp there will be no access to the eastbound on-ramp to the Gardiner Expressway at Rees Street between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Monday to Saturday from April 17 to May 31.
To maintain traffic flow in the area, traffic signal timing on alternative routes will be adjusted to minimize congestion and enhanced signage will be installed to advise motorists of the ongoing work. Motorists should expect delays and plan routes accordingly.
The westbound lanes of Lake Shore Boulevard and the Gardiner Expressway will not be affected by this construction.
Work on the project will take place Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Overnight work on weekends will take place to demolish portions of the structure over Lower Simcoe Street and York Street. Additional overnight work will be required over the course of the project and notification will be provided.
More information about the ramp closure and construction plans can be found on the city’s website at bit.ly/2oCtR2U.
OTA would like to hear from members who could be impacted by this closure on how they are communicating with their customers about delays, costs etc. Email [email protected].
