On Tuesday, July 2, the City of Toronto will begin construction on four bridges over the Don Valley Parkway (DVP) resulting in lane restrictions on the expressway until October. Work will take place on the bridges at Don Mills Road, Spanbridge Road, Wynford Drive and Lawrence Avenue East.
This vital work will ensure the bridges meet today’s standards and remain in a state of good repair and safe for all road users in the future.
The construction on the DVP bridges will be completed in two phases and two lanes in each direction will always remain open throughout peak travel times. Motorists should expect longer than normal travel times and congestion on the DVP during this work. Please take this into consideration when planning your route.
During the first phase of construction from July 2 to mid-August:
• the northbound median lane, or passing lane, will be fully closed from Don Mills Road to Lawrence Avenue East;
• the northbound and southbound high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes used by TTC and GO transit, from north of Wynford Drive to St. Dennis Drive will be closed; and
• the southbound median lane at Lawrence Avenue East and at Don Mills Road will be closed.
In early August, two lanes northbound and southbound on the DVP will be closed overnight for eight nights at the Don Mills Road Bridge so crews can complete work in hard-to-access locations on the bridge.
The second phase of construction will begin in mid- to late-August and be completed in October. The restrictions during this phase include:
• the southbound DVP on-ramp from Don Mills Road will be closed;
• the northbound and southbound DVP on-ramps from Lawrence Avenue East will be closed. The off-ramps will remain open; and,
• the northbound and southbound shoulders only of the DVP will be closed at Don Mills Road, Spanbridge Road, Wynford Drive and Lawrence Avenue East.
In late September, there will also be overnight closures for 10 nights on one northbound and southbound lane on the DVP at Don Mills Road Bridge. During this time, the southbound Don Mills off-ramp will also be closed.
These four bridges over the DVP were identified as needing extensive repairs with the condition of the Don Mills Road Bridge being the most critical. The City bundled the rehabilitation of the four bridges together into one project to avoid having to return to the DVP in the future and reinstate lane restrictions. While there is no convenient time to do this work, this construction was mainly coordinated during the summer when traffic volumes are typically lower.
To accelerate this work and minimize prolonged traffic congestion, each bridge will have crews working around-the-clock on a 24/7 basis to complete the construction as quickly as possible.
With $1 billion of work planned this year to renew Toronto’s aging roads, bridges, expressways, sewers, watermains and more, construction will affect more than 600 roads including both the Gardiner Expressway and the DVP.
During this year’s busy construction season, the public are advised to plan their travel in advance, consider alternate routes or take public transit, obey signage around work zones for the safety of the work crews and be patient while driving.
More information about this work, including maps, is available at toronto.ca/DVP.
Residents, businesses and visitors are encouraged to use the City’s web-based map at toronto.ca/roadrestrictions to help plan their travel and avoid road closures.
Information about the City’s planned capital construction work is available at toronto.ca/inview.
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