The Ontario government announced on April 25 that construction work is underway on the third stage of the Gardiner Expressway Section 2 rehabilitation project in Toronto.

The project is now 15 months ahead of the advanced schedule announced last July, thanks in part to the decision to allow work to proceed around the clock and to an investment of $73 million to speed up the repairs.

“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 ahead of the original schedule.”

The work was originally scheduled to be completed by April 2027.

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 Mayor Olivia Chow. “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 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.

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.