/
1x
Advertisement
Proudly Canadian, obsessively Toronto. Subscribe to Toronto Life!
City News

The city is leaning towards tearing down part of the Gardiner Expressway

By Steve Kupferman
Copy link
An architectural rendering of a torn-down Gardiner Expressway. (Image: Courtesy of the city)
An architectural rendering of a torn-down Gardiner Expressway. (Image: Courtesy of the city)

The city has been trying to figure out what to do with the Gardiner Expressway for 30 years, but now, with the prospect of "punch-through" lending a little additional urgency to the issue, it’s looking like something major may happen soon. Today, city staff and Waterfront Toronto released a joint report that outlines several solutions. The most favoured option? Tear it down.

Not the whole thing, that is, but just the 2.4 kilometre elevated section east of Jarvis Street. That stretch of road would be replaced with a ground-level eight-lane boulevard. It wouldn’t be an unprecedented move. A stretch of the Gardiner between Leslie Street and the Don River was torn down about 15 years ago.

In its analysis, the city considered three other options: maintenance, improvement and replacement. While the report doesn’t make any official recommendations, it does identify demolition as the least disruptive option based on a list of dozens of criteria. Ultimately, it will be up to city council to decide whether or not to move ahead with the tear-down—a choice that will likely become an issue in the 2014 mayoral campaign.

Rob Ford and several right-leaning councillors have already come out against the idea. Ford, for his part, believes the move would “cause traffic chaos.” The city is estimating that the change would increase travel times by about 10 minutes each way for the average driver in 2031. For the time being, we wait.

NEVER MISS A TORONTO LIFE STORY

Sign up for This City, our free newsletter about everything that matters right now in Toronto politics, sports, business, culture, society and more.

By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.
You may unsubscribe at any time.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Advertisement
Advertisement

The Latest

"Coexistence isn't working": Coyotes killed her dog. Now she wants them gone
City News

“Coexistence isn’t working”: Coyotes killed her dog. Now she wants them gone

Inside the Latest Issue

The June issue of Toronto Life features our annual ranking of the best new restaurants. Plus, our obsessive coverage of everything that matters now in the city.