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After several years of planning, the long-anticipated replacement of the Gardiner Expressway's York-Bay-Yonge off-ramps are now officially underway. The existing 1960s-built exit—consisting of a spiral loop section heading to York and Bay Streets and a straight ramp heading to Yonge Street—will be demolished and replaced by a single three-lane eastbound ramp terminating at Lower Simcoe Street. The contractor for the project was announced at in June, and this summer, Grascan Construction began work alongside Lake Shore Boulevard immediately below the elevated expressway.
Grascan Construction's contract with the City of Toronto places the overall cost of work between now and 2018 at a total of $33,787,000. $10,000,00 of this funding has been secured through a Section 37 contribution from the neighbouring Sun Life Financial Tower and Harbour Plaza Residences development.
Work starts under the existing ramp, with Grascan building supports for the new ramp while traffic continues to flow overhead. The existing ramp is expected to remain open until next June, leaving a 6-month gap between its closure and the planned December 2017 opening of the replacement. Expect the Spadina and Jarvis ramps to be very congested during the 6-month closure.
Removal of the ramp will allow for the re-configuration of Harbour Street from one-way to two-way traffic as far west as York Street, while new bicycle lanes will help to serve the growing population of cyclists in the area. A Waterfront Toronto Design Review Panel meeting that took place just under one year ago resulted in a consensus from panelists, agreeing on using the new Queens Quay light standard for the re-configured Harbour Street, as well as plans to use a consistent paving system if possible. In addition, the street is expected to be landscaped with planters.
Following the removal of the ramps to York Street, the green space it has run through will be reworked to create a proper park for the growing South Core and Harbourfront communities. Unencumbered by the large supports and road decking that currently inhibit enjoyment of the space, the yet-to-be-designed park would become a community focal point. Construction of the park is slated to begin in 2018, pending completion of the park's design phase.
We will be sure to return with updates as more work on the ramp replacement project is carried out. In the meantime, you can join in the conversation by visiting the project's Forum thread, or by leaving a comment using the space provided at the bottom of this page.
