TORONTO — Ontario will provide up to $73 million to help speed up repairs on a busy Toronto highway, so long as work on the Gardiner Expressway can be done around the clock.
Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said the move would mean construction work on the highway could be complete by at least April 2026, rather than April 2027.
"We need new roads and highways to accommodate our growing province, while protecting our existing infrastructure," Sarkaria said at a news conference Wednesday alongside Toronto's mayor and a local councillor.
The province announced in November that it was taking responsibility for the Gardiner Expressway, as well as the Don Valley Parkway in Toronto as part of a deal with the city to help alleviate its financial problems. In exchange, Toronto conceded the province could move ahead with its plans for a redeveloped Ontario Place on the city's waterfront.
Sarkaria said he has experienced the effects of the Gardiner rehabilitation project first-hand.
"I use the Gardiner almost every single day commuting into Queen's Park, I can tell you it's added almost 40, 45 minutes to my drive into the city," he said, noting that the highway sees more than 140,000 vehicles coming from across the Greater Toronto Area on an average weekday.
The work on the highway is part of the city's years-long effort to upgrade its infrastructure, with Toronto city council initially approving its plan to repair the Gardiner Expressway in 2014. A recent study by a transportation analytics firm found that travel times on the Gardiner have increased up to 250 per cent during the morning rush hour.
The current work phase involves replacing 700 metres of the roadway's structure, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said.
"We know that we have to replace our aging infrastructure. We need to make sure our roads are safe and continue to serve people who rely on them," said Chow. "That's why we are rebuilding the 60-year-old Gardiner."
Chow said the provincial funding will help the city add more work crews, buy more equipment to speed up demolition, and address technical issues on the highway.
"One year faster. It cuts out a whole yearlong of congestion," said Chow, emphasizing that "no one wants to be stuck in traffic."
Sarkaria said repairing the Gardiner is a "collaboration" between the province and the city.
"This is still a project that is managed by the city ... what we're here to do is to step in and help support the city on these challenges," Sarkaria said.
The minister said the provincial funding will also go toward modification of one of the roadway's on-ramps and opening a left turn lane at Spadina Avenue, a major intersection.
Once construction is complete, he said, drivers could save up to 22 minutes per trip.
"The Gardiner is one of the most important economic corridors for not only the city, province, but also this country," Sarkaria said, adding that if contractors do not meet their construction deadlines, they will not receive incentivization payments.
Coun. Ausma Malik, whose constituents would be most affected by the 24-7 Gardiner work, said the city will be proactive when it comes to construction noise.
"The commitment has been to ensure that folks are able to get a good night's rest even in our busy downtown communities," Malik said, noting that residents will be able to bring forward complaints with the city and the contractors.
Chow said the financial details of the investment will be shared once contracts are negotiated and finalized.
"I am pleased that the province has stepped in to help finance this acceleration," Chow said. "The people of Toronto want their government to repair the Gardiner as quickly as possible."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2024.
Rianna Lim, The Canadian Press
