Gardiner Expressway Section 3: Early Works on Five Bridges
Beginning at 5 a.m., Wednesday, April 16:
Until May 2026, the westbound Gardiner Expressway will be reduced from four lanes to three from east of Park Lawn Road to Grand Avenue.
Until November 2026, eastbound Gardiner Expressway lanes from Grand Avenue to east of Park Lawn Road will be narrowed but with no lane reductions.
The City is set to undertake critical repairs on five bridges along or over the Gardiner Expressway, with construction scheduled to begin in spring 2025. This work is part of the planned rehabilitation for Section 3 of the Gardiner Expressway, which spans from Highway 427 to the Humber River. While full rehabilitation for this section is currently scheduled to start as soon as 2027, condition assessments have identified these five bridges as requiring repairs in advance of 2027.
Westbound Gardiner Expressway On-Ramp from Park Lawn Road over Mimico Creek
Kipling Avenue over the Gardiner Expressway
Islington Avenue over the Gardiner Expressway
Map of Work Area
Map showing the location of the five bridges on or over the Gardiner Expressway between Kipling Avenue and Park Lawn Road where rehabilitation work will take place.
Construction Details and Closures
Work Hours
Construction will be permitted up to 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Loud noise-generating activities such as demolition will not take place between the hours of 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. The City will monitor noise levels throughout construction and make efforts to reduce noise impacts during overnight work.
Lane and Ramp Closures
Traffic restrictions will be implemented in phases and will include:
Gardiner Expressway – Grand Avenue to east of Park Lawn Road
Wednesday, April 16 – May 2026: Westbound lanes reduced from four to three lanes.
Wednesday, April 16 – December 2026: Eastbound lane narrowing (no lane closures).
Park Lawn Road
Park Lawn Road, where it passes under the Gardiner Expressway, will have single lane reductions, with three lanes maintained at all times.
This work is estimated to last approximately four months with timing to be determined and communicated in advance.
The lane reductions on Park Lawn Road will not occur at the same time as the closure of the Park Lawn Road on-ramp to the westbound Gardiner Expressway.
Kipling Avenue and Islington Avenue over Gardiner Expressway bridges
Monday, April 7 – November 2025: Islington Avenue will be reduced from three lanes in each direction to two lanes in each direction where they pass over the Gardiner Expressway.
Kipling Avenue will be reduced from three lanes in each direction to two lanes in each direction where they pass over the Gardiner Expressway, with the start date to be confirmed.
There will be occasional temporary overnight lane and ramp closures on the Expressway beneath Kipling Avenue and Islington Avenue.
On-Ramp from Park Lawn Road to Westbound Gardiner Expressway
November 2025 – May 2026: The on-ramp will be closed to traffic.
Construction on the On-Ramp will begin only after the completion of work on the Kipling Avenue and Islington Avenue Bridges.
FIFA World Cup Construction Pause
May 2026 – July 2026: To accommodate increased traffic during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, there will be no lane reductions or closures in the construction area during this period.
Travel Impacts and Congestion Management
The City is implementing multiple mitigation measures to help with traffic management during the construction period, including:
Real-time traffic monitoring and adaptive signal control to respond quickly to fluctuating congestion levels and alleviate congestion by automatically adjusting signal timing.
Changeable message signs will be installed around the project area to provide up-to-date information regarding the construction, road closures, and delays.
Temporary turning lane modifications on the Park Lawn Road and The Queensway intersection, as well as ramp lane modifications on the Kipling Avenue southbound to the Gardiner Expressway westbound will be implemented to help alleviate congestion.
Enhanced wayfinding and signage will be installed ahead of the construction area and detour paths to guide traffic along alternate routes.
Staggering the construction activities on Park Lawn Road to one direction at a time will help minimize simultaneous disruptions and reduce congestion across multiple corridors.
Gardiner Section 3 - full rehabilitation program
The F.G. Gardiner Expressway has been in service for more than 60 years and with the effects of weathering, salt and increasing traffic loads, it is approaching the end of its original design life. In order to maintain a safe roadway and ensure a state of good repair, a Strategic Rehabilitation Plan consisting of six complex projects was adopted by Toronto City Council in December 2016. Section 1 construction work was completed in 2021. Section 2 work is currently in progress, with expected completion by April 2026.
Gardiner Section 3 runs from Highway 427 to the Humber River and will reconstruct 6.5 km of at-grade expressway, including the rehabilitation of 11 bridges where the Gardiner passes over roads or creeks and four bridges that go over the Gardiner. Planning for the full rehabilitation program for this section of the project is underway to determine scope, phasing, staging, and the construction schedule.
Gardiner Section 3 Construction Updates
Engineering and Construction Services collects your personal email address under the legal authority of the Toronto City Council Item 2016.EX20.14 as confirmed by the City of Toronto By-law 1290-2016 and the Toronto City Council Item 2022.IE27.3 as confirmed by the City of Toronto By-law 104-2022. The information will be used to inform subscribers through email about the Gardiner Rehabilitation Section 3 – Highway 427 to Humber River. Questions about this collection can be directed to the Program Manager, Customer Service and Issues Management, 100 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 2N2 or by telephone at 416-397-1864.
