Toronto to begin critical repairs on 5 Gardiner Expressway bridges next week
Construction expected to finish by November 2026, city says
Workers will begin critical repairs on five bridges on the Gardiner Expressway starting next Monday, the City of Toronto says.
Starting April 7, the westbound Gardiner Expressway will be reduced from four lanes to three between Park Lawn Road and Grand Avenue for approximately a year, city officials said in a news release Monday.
These repairs are happening as part of the city's ongoing Gardiner Expressway strategic rehabilitation plan, a multi-year project intended to keep the roadway operational.
"Advancing this critical project is necessary to maintain the safety and reliability of the Gardiner Expressway and will be done while balancing the needs of road users with those of residents and businesses in the nearby area," the release said.
The five bridges are located on section three of the Gardiner, which runs from Highway 427 to the Humber River. While work on this section is scheduled to happen between 2027 and 2031, the bridges will have an early start after assessments found they needed critical repair, the release said.
The Ontario government will provide funding to replace the Gardiner Expressway overpasses at Park Lawn Road and Mimico Creek, as well as the westbound on-ramp from Park Lawn Road over Mimico Creek.
The city will fund repairs to the Kipling and Islington avenue bridges over the expressway, the release said.
Construction is expected to be finished by November 2026, with a pause from May to July 2026 to accommodate traffic for the FIFA World Cup.
The city said it is using acceleration and congestion management measures, as well as a phased approach to construction, to minimize impact on traffic.
These measures include traffic monitoring on the Gardiner Expressway and diversion routes and traffic agents at "key intersections" during busy periods to help keep traffic flowing.
The following lane and ramp closures are expected during construction:
- Westbound Gardiner Expressway from Park Lawn Road to Grand Avenue will be reduced from four lanes to three lanes, from April 2025 to May 2026.
- Eastbound Gardiner Expressway lanes from Grand Avenue to Park Lawn Road will be narrowed but with no lane reductions, from April 2025 to December 2026.
- Kipling Avenue and Islington Avenue will be reduced from three lanes in each direction to two lanes in each direction where they pass over the Gardiner Expressway, from April 2025 to November 2025.
- Park Lawn Road on-ramp to westbound Gardiner Expressway will be fully closed from November 2025 to April 2026.
- Park Lawn Road, where it passes under the Gardiner Expressway, will have single lane reductions, with three lanes maintained at all times. Construction is estimated to last around four months, but a timeframe has not yet been provided. Lane reductions will not happen at the same time as the closure of the Park Lawn Road on-ramp to the westbound Gardiner Expressway.