Gardiner Expressway closed this weekend for spring maintenance

City of Toronto Media Relations has issued the following:

==========================================

News Release:  April 22, 2014             

Gardiner Expressway closed this weekend for spring maintenance

The City of Toronto's Transportation Services division will be performing maintenance activities and setting up for construction work on the Gardiner Expressway starting this Friday. Full closure of the Gardiner Expressway is needed to ensure safety for the public and for crews working at the site.

The Gardiner Expressway will be closed in both directions from Carlaw Avenue to Highway 427 from 10 p.m. on Friday, April 25 to noon on Sunday, April 27.

In addition, a series of overnight closures starting Monday, April 28 will close the expressway's eastbound lanes between the Humber River and Carlaw Avenue. These closures are needed for the initial setup for three major construction projects in the Gardiner Expressway Strategic Rehabilitation Project.

"This is very important work that we need to do to keep our road infrastructure in a safe and operable condition," said Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong (Ward 34 Don Valley East), Chair of the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee. "We thank the public for their patience as we perform this important work on and around the roadway."

Specific activities that will be undertaken during this closure include:

• catch basin cleaning at about 1,000 locations to ensure proper drainage 

• pavement markings on 15 kilometres of highway 

• pothole repairs 

• bridge inspections 

• maintenance work on many of the 400 static signs 

• maintenance of closed-circuit television cameras 

• inspection of 200 overhead signs 

• installation of four new overhead signs 

• repair of 300 metres of guiderail, and 

• sweeping operations and litter removal.

Motorists can use Lake Shore Boulevard, the Queensway, Richmond Street, Adelaide Street, King Street and Queen Street as alternative routes during the weekend closure. Motorists should allow extra time to get to and from their destination. Whenever possible, people are encouraged to consider other modes of travel as a convenient alternative. 

A more complete list of events and road work is available at http://www.toronto.ca/torontostreets/.

In addition, the City's T.O. INview map shows planned capital construction work taking place across the city. T.O. Inview can be accessed at http://www.toronto.ca/inview.

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. Toronto is proud to be the Host City for the 2015 Pan American and Parapan American Games. 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.

-30-

Media contact:  Steve Johnston, Strategic Communications, 416-392-4391, sjohnsto@toronto.ca