[Civdis]

Why?? The taggers will their thing and that nice paint job is lost

Fair

 

[thaivic]

 

[kev1n1m]

OK here's something I've been thinking about for nearly 10 years since the hybrid debate hit council. You people will be the only ones who understand me, I can't take this to anybody IRL:

Why can't the Gardiner be re-routed over the Metrolinx Don Yard?

• If the final hybrid option was chosen because it would open up development potential, this option would leave enough space to build an ENTIRE neighborhood larger than East Harbour
• It maintains ALL of the recently rebuilt sections of the Gardiner, maybe a bent or two would be lost in a realignment at Cherry.
• Offramps could be maintained to become the Don Roadway, enhancing streetscape through west side of East Harbour
• For the 3-4 storage tracks that are lost because of bents, they could be added to the south end of the Don Yard. No capacity loss!
• It appears as if the slopes still work to bend this over the Ontario Line, over the river, and down to the DVP before hitting Eastern Ave.
• Still leaves room for fancy OL Line 3 bridge, albeit a little obstructed. That bridge is pretty basic anyways imo.
• If worried this is too close to West Don Lands condos, then they could locate the realignment towards the south end of the Don Yard, ie give a little more breathing room.
• This would require the impossibility of the Province and Metrolinx working together.

Please roast my idea, I have trouble finding faults with it! Perhaps the transport minister will forgive all my nasty emails about removing bike lanes if I send him this idea.

 

[rbt]

Why can't the Gardiner be re-routed over the Metrolinx Don Yard?

The grade from Eastern/Adelaide underpass to get over the railway corridor plus the electrification structures (~13m above tracks) isn't trivial but isn't out of line either.

In the past this wouldn't have been an option simply because provincial departments (whether Metrolinx, or Hydro, or other) are rarely cooperative with municipal projects, see DRL railway corridor proposal rejected by Metrolinx and Ontario Line cost savings by using the railway corridor as an example. With both the roadway and railway under the Minister of Transportation it should be politically feasible now. ONXpress adds a legal challenge to reconfiguring the yard.

The largest obstruction is the EA is complete and Ford explicitely said he would get the work done faster. Redoing the EA would slow things up.

 

[kev1n1m]

Thanks for making me feel sane. And seen.

 

[nfitz]

Without thinking much, I'd think the piers for the expressway would get in the way of the tightly-spaced tracks.

Perhaps the question could be can't it run right along the edge of the Don Yard?

With both projects now being run by the same ministry, then I suspect there are more options than previous.

I think this is the current plan (or at least a recent one).

 

[urbancog]

The southern edge of the combined Don-Wilson yard is likely marked by this electrical duct bank, referenced here.

An issue with taking tracks out of the Don Yard is that the further south you go, the shorter the storage tracks become, due to the shallow angle of the yard entry track. With the proposed use of shorter train consists that might not be a big issue however.

 

[RapidTransit]

I haven't kept up with everything on the Gardiner. But with the Gardiner being uploaded, can Doug Ford still change plans from hybrid option to the other options previous debated on. Or is the hybrid option already set in stone with contracts signed already?
If I remember correctly, he wanted to rebuild the Gardiner as is, with the Logan off ramps, and he wasn't in favor of hybrid when he was on council?

I doubt he'll make this an issue again. But I wouldn't put it pass him.

 

[Richard White]

Or is the hybrid option already set in stone with contracts signed already?

Anything is possible when you have F U money

 

[bearcat]

I haven't kept up with everything on the Gardiner. But with the Gardiner being uploaded, can Doug Ford still change plans from hybrid option to the other options previous debated on. Or is the hybrid option already set in stone with contracts signed already?
If I remember correctly, he wanted to rebuild the Gardiner as is, with the Logan off ramps, and he wasn't in favor of hybrid when he was on council?

I doubt he'll make this an issue again. But I wouldn't put it pass him.

well I think Lakeshore east of the Don River is actively being reconstructed without any provisions made for reinstating the Logan on/off ramps, so to add them back would mean ripping up Lakeshore soon after current reconstruction, which I guess Ford could do, but would seem like a waste of money

 

[nfitz]

well I think Lakeshore east of the Son River is actively being reconstructed without any provisions made for reinstating the Logan on/off ramps, so to add them back would mean ripping up Lakeshore soon after current reconstruction, which I guess Ford could do, but would seem like a waste of money

I'm not sure that would the most expensive cost. I think there is still place for new pillars.

The big cost would be the impacts to the contracts to build the current design. But as that work doesn't start until 2027, there's still time to change that.

 

[bearcat]

I'm not sure that would the most expensive cost. I think there is still place for new pillars.

The big cost would be the impacts to the contracts to build the current design. But as that work doesn't start until 2027, there's still time to change that.

Well they would also need to redo the plans for the intersection of the new Broadview extension and Lakeshore, as that would be where the old ramps were, there would need to be clearance for a street car to pass under the ramps as well.

None of this is insurmountable, but I would prefer Doug doesn't screw around with what's already planned.

 

[nfitz]

Well they would also need to redo the plans for the intersection of the new Broadview extension and Lakeshore, as that would be where the old ramps were, there would need to be clearance for a street car to pass under the ramps as well.

Well, they could move the ramps to Leslie instead.

 

[kotsy]

Been so busy I haven't been able to post many updates but here's a couple shots from the 14th & 18th. They're flying along with demolition and they were past the West end of the streetcar loop as of a few days ago, however the the steel and concrete rubble hasn't been removed above the GO entrance & streetcar loop.

 

[DSCToronto]

This should be 'fun"

December 20, 2024

City of Toronto to advance critical bridge repairs ahead of next stage of Gardiner Expressway rehabilitation plan

Today, the City of Toronto announced it will begin critical repair work on five bridges in spring 2025, as part of the next stage of the Gardiner Expressway Strategic Rehabilitation Plan, to ensure they remain in a state of good repair.

Rehabilitation work on Section 3 of the Gardiner Expressway, which runs from Highway 427 to the Humber River, is scheduled to take place from 2027 to 2031. However, five bridges in Section 3 have been identified for an advanced start after condition assessments noted critical repairs that need to be completed ahead of the 2027-2031 timeline.

The Ontario government will fund the replacement of the Gardiner Expressway overpasses at Park Lawn Road and Mimico Creek and the westbound on-ramp from Park Lawn Road over Mimico Creek as part of the Ontario-Toronto New Deal, which includes a provincial commitment to upload the Gardiner Expressway and the Don Valley Parkway to the Ontario government, subject to a third-party due diligence assessment. The City will fund repairs to the Kipling Avenue and Islington Avenue bridges over the Gardiner Expressway.

The contract for the bridge repairs will be advertised in early January so that work can begin in spring 2025. Construction will be paused from May to July 2026 to accommodate the increased traffic anticipated during the FIFA World Cup™ and is expected to be completed by December 2026.

This project will incorporate acceleration measures and congestion management tools from the current work on Section 2 of the Gardiner Expressway between Dufferin Street and Strachan Avenue, including early completion incentives, enabling crews to work up to 24 hours a day, seven days a week as required to meet the compressed construction timelines, temporary turning lane modifications and other construction and traffic management measures.

Extensive work was done during the design phase to ensure lane closures are kept to a minimum. The City is anticipating the following lane and ramp restrictions during phases of the bridge repair work:

• Eastbound Gardiner Expressway lanes from Mimico Creek to Park Lawn Road will be narrowed with no lane reductions.

• Westbound Gardiner Expressway from Park Lawn Road to Mimico Creek will be reduced from four lanes to three lanes (for approximately one year).

• Park Lawn Road, where it passes under the Gardiner Expressway, will be reduced to a single lane for an estimated two-month period in each direction.

• Kipling Avenue and Islington Avenue will be reduced from six lanes to four lanes where they pass over the Gardiner Expressway (for approximately eight months).

• Full closure of the Park Lawn Road on-ramp to westbound Gardiner Expressway (November 2025 to April 2026).

Advancing this critical project is necessary to maintain the safety and reliability of the Gardiner Expressway and will be done while balancing the needs of road users with those of residents and businesses in the nearby area.

The City is working closely with the nearby Ontario Food Terminal to minimize impact to its operations, which are vital to food distribution across Ontario, by aligning the construction schedule with the low season at the Terminal and providing a dedicated detour route for the Terminal’s truck traffic.