Construction work on a key section of the Gardiner Expressway will be completed by the end of the month, the provincial government has confirmed, marking some relief from extended delays on part of the roadway.
Gardiner construction has been a rare construction achievement in the city, continually moving ahead of schedule, while other major projects have fallen behind.
In the summer, provincial and city officials said they had succeeded in knocking construction on the Gardiner from Dufferin Street to Strachan Avenue down by 1.5 years in total.
Now, the Ministry of Transportation says it should be completed this month.
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“We appreciate and understand the frustration of being stuck in gridlock, especially in one of the most important corridors and roads not just in Toronto, but in all of Ontario,” Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria told Global News.
“So we deployed 24-7 construction, we were able to mobilize additional resources on the ground to be able to dedicate toward this project with (an) additional $73 million.”
Facing concerns about congestion last year, Sarkaria floated the idea of 24-hour construction.
The idea sparked a back-and-forth between Queen’s Park and city hall, with the city suggesting constant work could already take place.
The province eventually offered Toronto $73 million toward the cost of rehabilitating the road, on condition that it green-lit construction on the Gardiner Expressway 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Ontario is currently in the process of taking control of the Gardiner Expressway and the Don Valley Parkway from the City of Toronto as part of a deal between the two governments.
The agreement will see Ontario take on the costs associated with maintaining the two key routes, along with other funding commitments for subways, housing and a settlement over the future of Ontario Place.
Other parts of the Gardiner Expressway will still need to be updated in future years.
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