Three westbound lanes of Gardiner open during rush hours Spadina to Dufferin

TORONTO, Nov. 8, 2015 /CNW/ - Three lanes of westbound traffic on the Gardiner Expressway, between Spadina Avenue and Dufferin Street, are open, effective Sunday, November 8.

As a result of accelerated work efforts, three lanes of westbound traffic will be available from Monday to Friday during the daytime hours, including the morning and afternoon rush hour periods.

"I am bringing a hurry up approach to projects across the city to get Toronto moving. Traffic congestion is strangling this city and a big part of solving that problem is getting public sector construction projects done faster," said Mayor Tory. "The Gardiner is a major artery of our city and getting lanes of traffic on the Gardiner open earlier will make a real difference in cutting congestion and commute times."

Starting November 20 and continuing to mid-December, weekend and nightly lane closures will result in two lanes of westbound traffic in that area. This lane reduction will support construction activity beside the Gardiner Expressway at the Dowling Avenue and Dunn Avenue bridges over the rail corridor. The lane closure is required to facilitate the demolition of the Dowling and Dunn bridges during the weekend of November 21 and 22, as well as to allow for the installation of temporary bridges.

The City will implement timing changes to traffic signals to enhance traffic flow on nearby routes and will provide real-time traffic information on the City's overhead signs to mitigate traffic congestion as a result of this work.

The City has a web-based map to help residents and visitors make their travel plans, available at http://www.toronto.ca/roadrestrictions. Information about the City's planned capital construction work, which also affects roads, is available at http://www.toronto.ca/inview.

This work is part of the City's comprehensive, co-ordinated strategy to rehabilitate and upgrade our roads, transit and underground infrastructure for current and future needs.

Toronto is Canada's largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of about 2.8 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world's most livable cities. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit http://www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow us @TorontoComms.

SOURCE City of Toronto

For further information: Media contact: Steve Johnston, Strategic Communications, 416-392-4391, [email protected]