Navigating Toronto’s Weekend Traffic Woes and Snow Removal Challenges
This weekend, brace yourself for traffic troubles in Toronto as the southern end of the Don Valley Parkway and the eastern end of the Gardiner Expressway will be closed due to construction activities and ongoing snow removal operations in the city.
Starting from Friday at 11 p.m. until Monday at 5 a.m., sections of the DVP and the Gardiner will be inaccessible to traffic to facilitate the relocation of the new Lower Don Bridge’s eastern section over the DVP as part of the Metrolinx Ontario Line construction project.
Traffic reporter Jordan Kerr from 680 NewsRadio warns, “It’s going to be a chaotic situation ahead.” Anticipate heavy congestion on the DVP from the 401 down to the closure point, and eastbound Gardiner traffic backing up, extending at least up to Park Lawn.
For drivers heading eastbound, expect significant congestion on Lake Shore Boulevard West, which will bear the overflow from the Gardiner closure. Additionally, northbound routes in downtown areas are likely to experience delays.
Kerr highlights potential bottlenecks at Spadina and Fort York Boulevard due to ongoing construction, suggesting that traffic will worsen as drivers divert to Spadina to avoid congestion at the York/Bay/Yonge ramps.
For southbound DVP traffic, Kerr advises using the Bayview/Bloor ramp, which is expected to be congested. Drivers can also consider taking southbound Bayview to River Street or Rosedale Valley Road to reach Yonge Street, or use the Bloor Street route into the downtown core.
Metrolinx has provided closure and detour information on its website to help drivers navigate around the affected areas. Eastbound and northbound traffic will be redirected to Jarvis Street, then Queen Street for access to the DVP. For southbound traffic, drivers can take Bayview Avenue to Gerrard Street and then Jarvis to rejoin the Gardiner.
For those opting for public transit, note that Line 1 will be closed between St. George and St. Andrew stations from Friday night to Sunday for station maintenance, with no shuttle bus services available. Similarly, Line 4 subway service between Sheppard-Yonge and Don Mills stations will be replaced by shuttle buses over the weekend for signal maintenance.
If planning to use city streets as alternative routes, be aware that snow removal crews may be blocking lanes on various roads, especially smaller streets, leading to potential navigational challenges.