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News Release - City of Toronto and Province of Ontario announce update for Gardiner Expressway acceleration and reallocation of funds as part of the O

City of Toronto Media Relations has issued the following:
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News Release

July 24, 2024

City of Toronto and Province of Ontario announce update for Gardiner Expressway acceleration and reallocation of funds as part of the Ontario-Toronto New Deal

Toronto City Council has approved a plan to reallocate the funds resulting from the upload of the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway (DVP) to the Province of Ontario under the Ontario-Toronto New Deal.

City Council's approval of the Ontario-Toronto New Deal on December 13, 2023, facilitated the upload of the Gardiner and DVP to the Province, unlocking approximately $1.9 billion over the next decade for investment into priorities such as transit and housing.

The 2024 Budget allocated $50 million realized from the upload to Parks, Forestry and Recreation and Transportation Services to support critical state-of-good-repair projects.

The remaining funds realized from the Gardiner and DVP upload will be allocated in the 10-year Capital Plan during the City’s 2025 Budget process in the following areas:
• $500 million for TTC base system improvements
• $400 million for Parks, Forestry and Recreation state-of-good-repair
• $350 million for Transportation Services state-of-good-repair
• $300 million for housing state-of-good-repair and infrastructure development
• $200 million for Corporate Real Estate Management state-of-good-repair
• $100 million for the Broadview Eastern Flood Protection project.

These investments are guided by the City’s New Deal commitment to advance housing, transit and infrastructure opportunities and by the City’s 2024 Corporate Asset Management Plan (https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2024/ex/bgrd/backgroundfile-245336.pdf) – adopted by City Council in May – which identified areas most urgently in need of funding to maintain current levels of service.

Accelerating Gardiner Expressway construction

Today, as a part of the New Deal between Ontario and Toronto (https://www.ontario.ca/page/terms-new-deal-between-ontario-and-toronto), the City and Province announced updates on a plan to accelerate Gardiner Section 2 construction work and improve traffic flows. The Gardiner plays a vital role in the city’s local and regional transportation network and helps to sustain the country's economy through the movement of goods in and out of Toronto. Accelerating the Gardiner Section 2 Contract will help reduce travel times and support Toronto’s continued economic growth.

The partnership will allow for significantly increased hours of work to a minimum of approximately 20 hours a day, six days a week, with a seventh workday added as required. Between work shifts, the contractor will undertake activities to ensure continuous operations during operating hours such as moving equipment, preparing for material deliveries, setting up for concrete pours, health and safety reviews and ongoing maintenance.

When operationally required to keep to the accelerated completion schedule, work on the site may be conducted 24/7, which will shift the construction completion date from April 2027 to as early as April 2026. The timeline will be facilitated through the use of additional equipment, multiple shifts per day and expediting the prefabrication and delivery of materials.

In June, the City convened two workshops focused on construction acceleration and congestion management related to the Gardiner. These workshops brought together industry leaders experienced in managing congestion and rehabilitating urban expressways like the Gardiner in downtown areas.

From these workshops, the City and the contractor identified that an early acceleration schedule is achievable. In response to City Council's request for construction acceleration, a plan to expedite work has been developed through collaboration with the contractor and leveraging of industry experts.

The City and Province of Ontario are committed to working closely to identify acceleration opportunities with a common goal to relieve traffic congestion and manage the complexities of the work while minimizing impacts to the driving public, local residents and managing overall project costs.

Quote:

“Together with the provincial government, we can rebuild the Gardiner Expressway more quickly and ease the painful congestion in downtown Toronto. Working together, we can repair our aging infrastructure, ensure that the Gardiner Expressway is safe and help people get around our city easier.”
- Mayor Olivia Chow

Toronto is home to more than three million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture, innovation and climate action, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses. For more information, visit www.toronto.ca or follow us on X at x.com/cityoftoronto, on Instagram at www.instagram.com/cityofto or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cityofto.

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Media contact: Media Relations, media@toronto.ca

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