What to know
- Multiple roads around Exhibition Place, including Lake Shore Boulevard West, Dufferin Street and Strachan Avenue, will be closed or restricted on all FIFA World Cup match days.
- Closures will begin up to five hours before kickoff and remain in place for as long as three hours after each match ends.
- The City of Toronto is encouraging drivers to avoid the area and use transit, as thousands of fans are expected to attend six matches at Toronto Stadium.
The World Cup is almost upon us, and Toronto drivers should be bracing themselves for road closures on match days.
Toronto drivers know that traffic in the city can be brutal on a good day, and with the FIFA World Cup coming to Toronto at the end of the week, it’s expected that traffic will heat up, with thousands of fans descending upon the city and road closures in effect all six game days.
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All six games are taking place at Toronto Stadium, at Exhibition Place, and roads in the area will be impacted. The city says that closures will come in effect five hours before the start of each match and are expected to last up to three hours after.
Here are closures drivers should be aware of:
- Strachan Ave. will be completely closed from Lake Shore Blvd to East Liberty St., while two lanes on the east side between Lake Shore Blvd and Fleet Street will remain open for those accessing the Enercare Centre parking lot.
- Fleet St. will see a full closure from Angelique St. to Strachan Ave. for the duration of the tournament to facilitate a dedicated streetcar platform for transit users.
- Dufferin St. will be closed from Springhurst Ave. to Saskatchewan Rd. with only local traffic permitted Springhurst Ave. to King St.
- Lake Shore Blvd. W. is closed from Bathurst St. to British Columbia Rd. to accommodate buses. East-west traffic will be redirected to the Gardiner or King St. W.
Access to Liberty Village will be restricted to local traffic only on match days from five hours before matches until three hours after, including East Liberty St. E from Dufferin St. to Strachan Ave., Mowat Ave., Fraser Ave., Jefferson Ave. and Atlantic Ave.
Fort York Blvd. and the residential area between Fort York and Fleet St. will see access restricted to local traffic only from Bathurst to Angelique streets for the duration of the tournament. This includes Fleet St., Angelique St., Gzowski Blvd., Bastion St., Grand Magazine St., Iannuzzi St., Bruyeres Mews, and Sloping Sky Mews.
Over at Exhibition Place, the following road closures are in place, with these routes restricted to local FIFA traffic, until the tournament moves out of those areas and all fencing and infrastructure is removed:
- Ontario Drive is closed from Lakeshore Blvd. to Princes’ Blvd.
- Princes’ Blvd. – Closed from Ontario Dr. to Manitoba Dr.
- PEI Circle – Closed from Ontario Dr. to Prince’s Blvd.
- Lot 855 (Bandshell Portion) – Closed (FIFA set-up)
On match days, New Brunswick Wy. is operating to accommodate two-way traffic from Lakeshore Blvd. to Princes’ Blvd. Meanwhile, British Columbia Dr., Saskatchewan Rd., and Dufferin Bridge are all closed on match days from five to six hours before the match to three to four hours after.
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All scheduled street closures impact both motor vehicles and bicycles. Cyclists must get off their bikes and walk when using these routes.
The following matches are taking place at Toronto Stadium:
- Friday, June 12: Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina at 3 p.m.
- Wednesday, June 17: Ghana vs. Panama at 7 p.m.
- Saturday, June 20: Germany vs. Cote d’Ivoire at 4 p.m.
- Tuesday, June 23: Croatia vs. Panama at 7 p.m.
- Friday, June 26: Senegal vs. Iraq at 3 p.m.
Meanwhile, another match is scheduled for Thursday, July 2 at 7 p.m., with the teams set to be announced as the tournament progresses.
The city is encouraging drivers to carpool or leave the car at home and take transit when possible during the tournament. The TTC is also increasing service on match days to make commuting easier for people in Toronto. You can find the updated transit schedule on the TTC website.
