What to know
- Southbound DVP is closed from Bayview to the Gardiner, along with portions of east- and west-bound Gardiner.
- The closure is to accommodate the construction of Ontario Line and other city maintenance procedures.
- The roads are scheduled to reopen at 5 a.m. on Monday.
Sections of Don Valley Parkway (DVP) and the Gardiner Expressway are closed until Monday morning.
This weekend’s road closures
The 5.4-kilometre stretch from the Bayview Ave. on-ramp to the southbound DVP to the Lower Jarvis St. off-ramp on the Gardiner is closed. Drivers will be able to get onto westbound Gardiner via the on-ramp at Lower Jarvis. The recommended detour route for this traffic is via Bayview Ave., Gerrard St., and Jarvis St.
The eastbound Gardiner lanes are also closed, starting from the on-ramp at Rees St. to northbound on-ramp at Don Roadway. Drivers heading towards the DVP on the Gardiner will need to get off at Jameson Ave. and get onto the northbound DVP via the Richmond St. on-ramp. The recommended detour route for this traffic is via Jarvis St. and Queen St. E.
Traffic delays are expected and drivers are encouraged to plan ahead. The city says it adjusts the signal timings of traffic lights to “allow for greater movement” along detour routes during construction-related road closures.
In a news release, Metrolinx says the work was coordinated with the City of Toronto to maximize work done within the closure area, where the city will perform road maintenance surveys. It adds, the work was scheduled to take place over the weekend to “minimize traffic impacts during the work week.”
The primary purpose of the closure is to accommodate the construction of the Ontario Line, as the east section of the new Lower Don Bridge is moved into its permanent home.
What is the Lower Don Bridge?
When complete, the 120-metre long Lower Don Bridge will travel parallel to the existing Lower Don Bridge, over the DVP, connecting Riverside (east of the river) to Corktown (west of the river).
The bridge is assembled off-site and moved into place in sections. Metrolinx says this method allows it to keep traffic moving and “minimize disruption.”
Metrolinx Ontario Line
Preparations for the Ontario Line began in 2019, breaking ground in 2022. It’s a 15.6-kilometre subway line running both above- and underground from Exhibition Place to Eglinton Ave.
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There will be 15 stations across the Ontario Line, with connections to GO trains, TTC’s Line 1 and Line 2, Eglinton Crosstown LRT, as well as multiple streetcar and bus services.
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