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The Gardiner Expressway's York/Bay/Yonge off-ramps are set to be replaced by a more streamlined structure, with construction expected to begin in July this year. The current off-ramps—which transition to street level via a large spiral structure east of York Street and a straight-through ramp towards Yonge which lands at Bay Street—are set to be removed. A much shorter new off-ramp meeting Lake Shore Boulevard and Harbour Street at Lower Simcoe will replace the existing ones. Planned by the City of Toronto since 2008, the project is now ready to move forward, with a late 2017 completion targeted.
Opening up increasingly valuable land in Toronto's rapidly growing south core, the reconstruction project will begin with the existing off-ramp remaining in use. With the new off-ramp slated to enter into service in December of 2017, the existing spiral loop will remain open until June of that year, leaving a six month period with no off-ramp to serve the area. Construction of the concrete and steel supports for the new ramp will take place directly underneath the live traffic of the existing ramp.
The project is being funded in part through a $10,000,00 Section 37 contribution from the neighbouring Sun Life Financial Tower and Harbour Plaza Residences development. Once complete, the new ramp alignment is expected to improve traffic flow and pedestrian experience while opening up the street to the sky.
The removal of the current spiral ramp will also allow for a full park to be created on the block, transforming the underutilized green space into a much more inviting urban amenity. Public consultations to inform the design of the new park will take place in 2017, while construction is slated to begin sometime in 2018. Meanwhile, preliminary discussions with the community and local stakeholder groups are set to take place in advance of the formal public consultation process.
Development and planning decisions over the last 6 years since the image above was created have produced a number of changes: the buildings shown in purple are all slightly different, (one built, others under construction, one still in planning stages), while most notably, plans to include a road along the east side of the new park have been cancelled. The park will continue straight up to the face of RBC WaterPark Place III, increasing in size, and gaining some direct pedestrian access without having to cross a road.
More information about the new off-ramp and the impacts of construction will be provided at an upcoming public meeting for the Lower Yonge Transportation Master Plan EA. City staff will be on hand to answer questions about the Master Plan, while space will be set aside to address any queries regarding the off-ramp project. A date of June 23rd has been scheduled for the meeting, though more specific details are forthcoming.
We will keep you updated as the July 18th construction launch approaches. In the meantime, feel free to leave a comment in the space below this page, or take part in the ongoing discussion on our associated Forum thread.
