Gardiner Expressway Construction Months Ahead of Schedule

Crews have begun work on final two lanes of the rehabilitation project

TORONTO — As a result of the Ontario government’s $73 million investment to speed up the repair of the Gardiner Expressway and allow work to proceed on a 24/7 basis, work is now underway on the third stage of the Gardiner Expressway Section 2 rehabilitation project months ahead of the advanced schedule announced in July 2024. This investment is part of the government’s plan to protect Ontario in the face of economic uncertainty, including from U.S. tariffs, by investing in infrastructure to support economic growth, fight gridlock and keep workers on the job.

“We’re getting drivers out of gridlock by investing in infrastructure and accelerating construction on priority highways, allowing 24-hour-a-day construction, seven days a week,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation. “These measures mean that we’re on track to reopen all lanes on the Gardiner Expressway more than 15 months ahead of the original schedule.”

Crews have now successfully rehabilitated the two southern and the two centre lanes of the Gardiner Expressway between Dufferin Street and Strachan Avenue, with work beginning on the final northern lanes. The project entails revitalizing 700 metres of elevated roadway, reinforcing support structures, installing new streetlights and upgrading the traffic management system.

“The Gardiner is vital to keeping Toronto moving,” said Olivia Chow, Mayor of Toronto. “Thanks to our collaboration to accelerate this critical rehabilitation work, we are tracking well ahead of schedule, which means less disruption for our residents, visitors and businesses.”

The Gardiner rehabilitation project will support approximately 500 good-paying construction and supply chain jobs and will deliver long-term benefits for commuters and the economy. Once construction is complete, the 140,000 drivers who rely on the Gardiner each day will save up to 22 minutes per trip. Accelerating construction will save Ontario’s economy $273 million by easing congestion and getting people and goods out of gridlock at least one year sooner.

Quick Facts

Travel times on the Gardiner Expressway have increased by up to 250 per cent due to construction, with commercial vehicles spending 80 per cent more time per day on the Gardiner, according to a study from Geotab ITS.
Gridlock costs Ontario over $56 billion a year, according to the Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis. If left unchecked, the annual cost of gridlock could reach $108 billion by 2044.
Toronto commuters face the longest travel times in North America, spending an average of 98 hours each year in rush-hour traffic, according to the Toronto Region Board of Trade.
The New Deal for Toronto includes a proposal to upload the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway to the province, subject to third-party due diligence.
The Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act received Royal Assent last fall, allowing the province to also accelerate construction of Ontario’s priority highways, including Highway 413, the Bradford Bypass and the Garden City Skyway bridge-twinning project.