News   Mar 28, 2024
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Roads: Gardiner Expressway catch-all, incl. Hybrid Design (2015-onwards)

It's not possible. That's why they haven't done it.

As per Burloak's calculations, there needs to be 470m of distance to climb up to a high enough height to clear the tracks. There's only 380m.

The better question would be - for what benefit? It would almost certainly involve a closure of many months to do it, as there is no where to build an alternate alignment.

Dan
 
I didn't mention it, because I thought it was obvious.
The current Hybrid plan is about 850m length from Cherry to DVP.
Going over the railway, means starting north of Gerrard, which would be a 2.7km long elevated roadway.

The estimate for the current hybrid plan is ~$400M. Extrapolating, the cost of going over the railway would be $1.3B.
Is it worth spending an additional $900M?
 
A few pictures over the last two months showing the logistics.
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While out running errands yesterday, I mounted a GoPro camera to the dash.

I posted a video of the drive from Royal York Road to the DVP here:

 
The Gardiner Expressway's westbound Sherbourne/Jarvis off-ramp will reopen on Sunday, April 19, at 12:01 a.m. The off-ramp, closed since October 2019, was replaced as part of Gardiner Expressway Strategic Rehabilitation Plan.

On Saturday, April 18, beginning at 12:01 a.m., crews will work to readjust construction staging to prepare for the reopening of the westbound off-ramp to Lower Sherbourne/Lower Jarvis Streets and the simultaneous closure of the westbound off-ramp to Yonge-Bay-York Streets.

During this time, two lanes will be closed on the southbound Don Valley Parkway (DVP) and westbound Gardiner Expressway starting from just south of the Richmond Street East exit on the DVP to the Jarvis Street on-ramp on the Gardiner Expressway.

On Saturday, April 18, to ensure a safe transition of the construction staging:

• both westbound off-ramps (Lower Sherbourne/Jarvis and Yonge-Bay-York) will be fully closed

• two lanes will be closed on the southbound Don Valley Parkway (DVP) and westbound Gardiner Expressway starting from just south of the Richmond Street East exit on the DVP to the Jarvis Street on-ramp on the Gardiner Expressway

• the on-ramp to the westbound Gardiner Expressway from Lake Shore Boulevard East near Logan Avenue will be closed

• the westbound Jarvis Street on-ramp will be the first opportunity for traffic on Lake Shore Boulevard East to access the westbound Gardiner Expressway

Work taking place on and near the Yonge-Bay-York off-ramp includes the replacement of the concrete deck and steel girders of the westbound expressway lanes near the ramp. The ramp is expected to be closed until late summer 2020 when construction will move to the final phase for the replacement of the southern half (eastbound lanes) of the expressway deck.
 
Is it too late for the city to decide to do something different?

Short answer is no.

Less short answer is that there are some sunk costs on pursuing the existing approved vision; but a lot less than construction would entail.
 
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The alternate that's in Tory's mind is probably putting it in the city's never ending list of "Approved and Not Funded" project list, a list that he should be shamed of. The one good thing that might come out from all of this, is that its going to force his hand to find new revenue tools for the city, he really has no choice. Unless he wants to hack and slash away and kiss his job goodbye.
 
The alternate that's in Tory's mind is probably putting it in the city's never ending list of "Approved and Not Funded" project list, a list that he should be shamed of. The one good thing that might come out from all of this, is that its going to force his hand to find new revenue tools for the city, he really has no choice. Unless he wants to hack and slash away and kiss his job goodbye.

The last time he sought new revenue tools for the city's transit expansion, the premier (ironically a pro-transit Liberal) slapped him down.
 
The last time he sought new revenue tools for the city's transit expansion, the premier (ironically a pro-transit Liberal) slapped him down.

Miller proposed tolls, Tory proposed tolls, even Doug Ford himself proposed tolls; if they were going to happen (before electric vehicles are the majority) it would be early in Ford's next term.

"Councillor Doug Ford says it's time to partner with the private sector and consider adding toll lanes to the Gardiner Expressway"

 
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This Tweet from The Star's Jennifer Pagliaro should stir some chatter here:

View attachment 241115


Hmm. Hopefully not the worst option: Maintain. Highway stays, and isn't improved.

Miller proposed tolls, Tory proposed tolls, even Doug Ford himself proposed tolls; if they were going to happen (before electric vehicles are the majority) it would be early in Fords next term.

"Councillor Doug Ford says it's time to partner with the private sector and consider adding toll lanes to the Gardiner Expressway"


Yeah Doug's idea is pretty out to lunch. It'd be adding a new parallel highway that's tolled, while keeping the existing Gardiner non-tolled.
 
Yeah Doug's idea is pretty out to lunch. It'd be adding a new parallel highway that's tolled, while keeping the existing Gardiner non-tolled.

Absolutely. Point being, he didn't object to them as a revenue generation tool, there is a huge budget crunch ahead, and he already learned over the last 2 years he can't cut without his own supporters getting mad. Tolls on the downtown elite might be something he tries to sell.
 
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The Gardiner Expressway's westbound Sherbourne/Jarvis off-ramp will reopen on Sunday, April 19, at 12:01 a.m. The off-ramp, closed since October 2019, was replaced as part of Gardiner Expressway Strategic Rehabilitation Plan.

On Saturday, April 18, beginning at 12:01 a.m., crews will work to readjust construction staging to prepare for the reopening of the westbound off-ramp to Lower Sherbourne/Lower Jarvis Streets and the simultaneous closure of the westbound off-ramp to Yonge-Bay-York Streets.

During this time, two lanes will be closed on the southbound Don Valley Parkway (DVP) and westbound Gardiner Expressway starting from just south of the Richmond Street East exit on the DVP to the Jarvis Street on-ramp on the Gardiner Expressway.

On Saturday, April 18, to ensure a safe transition of the construction staging:

• both westbound off-ramps (Lower Sherbourne/Jarvis and Yonge-Bay-York) will be fully closed

• two lanes will be closed on the southbound Don Valley Parkway (DVP) and westbound Gardiner Expressway starting from just south of the Richmond Street East exit on the DVP to the Jarvis Street on-ramp on the Gardiner Expressway

• the on-ramp to the westbound Gardiner Expressway from Lake Shore Boulevard East near Logan Avenue will be closed

• the westbound Jarvis Street on-ramp will be the first opportunity for traffic on Lake Shore Boulevard East to access the westbound Gardiner Expressway

Work taking place on and near the Yonge-Bay-York off-ramp includes the replacement of the concrete deck and steel girders of the westbound expressway lanes near the ramp. The ramp is expected to be closed until late summer 2020 when construction will move to the final phase for the replacement of the southern half (eastbound lanes) of the expressway deck.
Yonge St ramp is closed and Lower Sherbourne/Jarvis ramp is now open.
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