Construction, ahead of schedule.
Those words aren’t typically used in the same sentence but in the case of the Gardiner Expressway, that’s what’s happening.
The province’s Minister of Transportation confirmed on Thursday that construction of the main Toronto artery into the downtown core is ahead of schedule and due to be completed far sooner than originally anticipated.
Transportation minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said the long-term construction on the Gardiner is entering Phase 2 one year early. That’s thanks to the government’s $73 million investment in the project which allowed work to be done 24/7.
“We’re making real progress on our government’s plan to fight gridlock and keep drivers moving,” Sarkaria said.
Crews have completed work on the south side of the Gardiner between Dufferin St. and Strachan Ave. Up next is the demolition and reconstruction of two centre lanes followed by completing work on the remaining westbound lanes.
The full project includes revitalizing 700 metres of elevated roadway from Dufferin St. to Strachan Ave., reinforcing support structures, installing new streetlights and upgrading the traffic management system.
The province says 140,000 drivers who use the Gardiner daily will save up to 22 minutes per trip upon the project’s completion. Additionally, the province says speeding up this project is expected to save Ontario’s economy $273 million.
“Under the leadership of Premier (Doug) Ford, we’re not only getting it done on the Gardiner Expressway, but we’re also bringing common sense changes to bike lanes through new legislation and speeding up the construction of priority highway projects like Hwy. 413, Bradford Bypass and the Garden City Skyway bridge, to help get drivers across the province out of gridlock,” Sarkaria said.
Initially, the Gardiner Rehabilitation Project was to be completed in 2027 but that date was moved forward to 2026 to ease traffic congestion concerns.
Studies have found that travel times have increased by up to 250% during rush hour since construction started.
The Toronto Region Board of Trade says that Toronto commuters face the longest travel times in North America, spending an average of 98 hours each year in rush-hour traffic.