Buckle up, Toronto! Commutes are about to get even longer, as “critical repair work” is set to start on another section of the Gardiner Expressway next week.
Repairs on section 3, which covers Highway 427 to the Humber River, is next up on the city’s Gardiner Expressway Strategic Rehabilitation Plan, which was initially scheduled to take place from 2027 to 2031. However, five bridges have been approved for an advanced start, with assessments noting the need for “critical repair,” the City of Toronto said in a press release on Monday.
This entire 6.5-kilometre section includes the rehabilitation of 15 bridges, but the early repairs will begin with bridges over Park Lawn Road and Mimico Creek, the westbound on-ramp from Park Lawn Road over Mimico Creek, and the Kipling Avenue and Islington Avenue bridges over the Gardiner Expressway.
Beginning on Apr. 7, the westbound portion of the highway between Park Lawn Road and Grand Avenue will be reduced from four lanes to three for approximately one year. A full closure of the Park Lawn Road on-ramp to the westbound Gardiner Expressway is expected between November 2025 and April 2026.
Until December 2026, the eastbound lanes from Grand Avenue to Park Lawn Road will also be narrowed, though no lane reductions are planned. Additionally, Kipling and Islington avenues will have their lanes reduced from three to two in each direction where they cross the Gardiner, starting in April and lasting for about eight months.
This phase of construction follows the first repairs along Jarvis to Cherry streets, which was completed in 2021, and above Dufferin Street to Strachan Avenue, which is still currently in progress.
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All construction will be paused from May to July 2026, the city said, to accommodate the anticipated traffic during the FIFA World Cup. After the tournament, construction will continue and is expected to be completed by November 2026.
During this phase, the city said work will include 24/7 construction and congestion management measures, such as traffic monitoring and real-time adjustments. Motorists will also be informed of closures with advanced signage.
Online, social media users are reacting to the news of yet another year-long delay on the highway system.
“It’s brutal,” one Reddit user said.
“Gotta make sure everything is patched up in time for the world cup…… only to likely be torn back up right after,” another user commented.
“Enjoy your commute in Canada’s most productive city,” another user sarcastically wrote.
For a detailed list of closures and disruptions due to the closures, see the city’s website.
