[nfitz]

It's almost a shame they'll rebuild them. Walking underearth the 4-lane structure at Exhibition is a lot less brutal than the full structure. I'm surprised how much better the new thinner slabs look - I'm not sure why, other than looking new.

 

[kotsy]

I'm surprised how much better the new thinner slabs look - I'm not sure why, other than looking new.

They're also higher up than the old girders so it feels a bit more roomy when standing underneath. Furthermore, they are encased in concrete instead of exposed brown girders so it makes the area a bit brighter overall.

 

[giantorangehead]

When the new DVP ramps are built to the north. Once the new ramps are open, they can tear the current ramps down.

Once the area is clean, they can built the new road aliment for the Lake Shore Blvd. As far as I can see ground level, the new piers are in place for the new westbound Lake Shore bridge and no idea when steel will be place for it

Still another year for the Lake Shore new lanes work from the Don.

Steel girders being placed for the Lakeshore bridge this weekend. Construction Notice Link

 

[TripleQ]

I’m mildly impressed they’ve been able to do things in parallel instead of completing one task at a time. You can kind of see from the pictures they’re laying the girders at one end while forming the bent caps in the middle and working on clearing the old concrete at the other end.

 

[tstormers]

I’m mildly impressed they’ve been able to do things in parallel instead of completing one task at a time. You can kind of see from the pictures they’re laying the girders at one end while forming the bent caps in the middle and working on clearing the old concrete at the other end.

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Probably one of the most efficient public projects I've seen in those terms. Seems like they actually planned things out properly.

 

[bearcat]

Once this is done is there any plan for some sort of use for the area underneath the Gardiner west of the Exhibition streetcar loop? On Google Streetview it seems to have been used for parking and storage of miscellaneous things in the past. The Bentway project doesn't extend that far west.

 

[nfitz]

Probably one of the most efficient public projects I've seen in those terms. Seems like they actually planned things out properly.

They'd probably have to double the budget if the province was running it!

 

[Jonny5]

Once this is done is there any plan for some sort of use for the area underneath the Gardiner west of the Exhibition streetcar loop? On Google Streetview it seems to have been used for parking and storage of miscellaneous things in the past. The Bentway project doesn't extend that far west.

Probably not immediately. The parking right now is used for the operations and event staff of the various venues, and also the players, staff and broadcasting crew for the Toronto Marlies, TFC, and now also the the Toronto Sceptres and a future Toronto WNBA team.
While you can debate if that's an appropriate use, I suspect they have use of those spots baked into their lease and operating agreements for some years to come.

 

[nfitz]

While you can debate if that's an appropriate use, I suspect they have use of those spots baked into their lease and operating agreements for some years to come.

Spots, sure. Those exact spots ... probably not.

 

[RapidTransit]

We're in June now, and the Gardiner and DVP still haven't been officially uploaded. It was in January if I remember correctly that there was some paper work that had to be signed off.

With the delay in upload , I wonder how this will affect Toronto budget for this year 2025 and next year 2026?

Has the city delayed awarding any contracts , particularly the East side of the Gardiner/DVP realignment project with anticipation of the province taking over the expressways?

Too bad the city couldn't give away Lake Shore Blvd as well. The section directly under the Gardiner between Bathurst and Don Rdwy or even Leslie Street.

 

[Jonny5]

We're in June now, and the Gardiner and DVP still haven't been officially uploaded. It was in January if I remember correctly that there was some paper work that had to be signed off.

With the delay in upload , I wonder how this will affect Toronto budget for this year 2025 and next year 2026?

These agreements can always be backdated and the costs allocated for the prior period included. It doesn't have to be effective the day you sign it.
I have no idea if they will do that, but it is not uncommon, and that may have already agreed to a date for whenever the final document is ready.

 

[innsertnamehere]

Anyone have some recent shots? at the rate the completed the middle section, the north side should be done around ~October.. then probably another month or so to rebuild the central median barrier. My bet is that it opens sometime before December 1.

 

[reinventingthewheel]

This morning at 6ish a crane was lifting girders into place on the bent caps. Starting from the west end as usual, this morning they’d reached somewhere between Atlantic Ave. and Nova Scotia Ave.

 

[TripleQ]

Bent caps pretty much done all the way to the east end. Decking done to the middle of Exhibition GO but I can’t really see what the surface looks like from my vantage point.

 

[TorontoPotential]

A new hybrid option will be brought to Council this Fall that is different than the contentious proposal that barely made it through a divided City Council. It's going to be a lot closer to the original hybrid option that runs along the rail corridor, freeing up the land around the Keating Channel for Waterfront Toronto redevelopment. It's a good compromise if we have to retain the Gardiner at all.

While I'd much rather prefer we remove the Gardiner, I'm optimistic that we can make it work with it up. Downtown — particularly around South Core — condos and office towers are hemming in the Gardiner and rail corridor. Bridges running alongside the rail corridor connecting buildings have successfully concealed the railway and made the area around it feel urban. We can do the same along the Gardiner, creating a sort of above ground PATH like Calgary's +15 skywalk network. The Gardiner would be hiding behind.

The remaining challenge is making the pedestrian crossings less gloomy and intimidating. That can be accomplished by landscaping right up to the expressway with trees and welcoming outdoor spaces, making the crossing much shorter. Lighting those spaces under the Gardiner with interesting ceilings and pillars where pedestrians cross, would round out the pedestrian friendly measures.

Since we're not going to build a tunnel into the ground, I'd be content to turning the existing elevated Gardiner and Lakeshore running under it into a "tunnel" of sorts with buildings on either side.

I’ve never understood why they don’t build a new elevated portion over the Railway starting in east downtown and tighten the curve…. Why not put the highway above the ugly railroad? I marked this in blue in the attached…. That way this NEW section can be built before they tear anything else down and get Toronto moving again by connecting the new portion above the rails to the existing elevated Dvp and Gardiner sections … what am I missing?