After months of track work, the King streetcars are finally back to their usual route, but another planned construction will soon disrupt the service once more this fall with no set time to return.
The TTC and the City of Toronto recently announced new construction plans for the King West and Dufferin intersection that will cause route changes, road closures and parking restrictions in the area, starting mid-September.
The construction project will install new streetcar tracks in the region, which the TTC says is essential to preserve long-term reliable service. At the same time, the city will also be replacing sidewalks and installing new tactile plates in the area.
As planned work takes place, the intersection will be completely closed for vehicle and bike traffic, while parking in the area will also not be permitted.
Multiple streetcar and bus services in the area will also be affected. The 503 Kingston Road streetcar service between Joe Shuster Way and Victoria Park will be taken over by a replacement bus. Meanwhile, the 504A and 508 Lake Shore streetcars will divert through Queen St. on Shaw St. and Roncesvalles Ave., and 504B will only run until Bathurst St.
The work will also affect the Dufferin bus routes, with 29 Dufferin diverting to King W. at Joe Shuster Way through Queen and Shaw streets and the 929 Dufferin Express service being shortened to Queen St. W.
The TTC also says the daily 91,000 King streetcar and 42,000 bus commuters can expect a significant increase in replacement transit service along Queen St. W. and Shaw St. Toronto’s city council has approved temporary Transit Priority Measures (TPMs) with turning restrictions and “No Stopping” zones to ensure transit speed and reliability for the duration of the construction.
According to the city and TTC, diversions are expected to begin as early as Sept. 15 and end sometime between late October and early November, as a TTC spokesperson tells Now Toronto there are no official dates confirmed for the end of the project.
The city also warns that noise can be expected in the area during that time, with crews working 24 hours a day during rail installation to ensure the integrity and quality of the new infrastructure. While concrete breaking processes will take place between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., overnight work will include rail positioning, installing and grinding.
This new construction comes as the King streetcar routes have just resumed this long weekend after an entire summer of diversions to accommodate infrastructure updates at the King and Church streets intersection.
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The King and Dufferin infrastructure updates are part of the King Watermain and Streetcar Renewal Project which were initially meant to take place in 2024, but was later deferred to 2025 due to “supply chain challenges.”
