Mayor John Tory launched Toronto's busiest construction season ever with more than $1 billion in work planned for roads, bridges, expressways, sewers, and watermains.
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This is the largest investment into a City of Toronto construction season yet.
Mayor Tory was joined by Councillor James Pasternak (Ward 6 York Centre), Chair of the Infrastructure and Environment Committee to announce the kick-off of the 2019 construction season.
Approximately $590 million will be spent on rehabilitating and improving transportation infrastructure including:
• $100 million on major roads;
• $70 million local roads;
• $200 million on expressways including the F.G. Gardiner Strategic Rehabilitation;
• $60 million on sidewalks and cycling infrastructure;
• $45 million on Vision Zero infrastructure and the Road Safety Plan; and
• $115 million on bridges, culverts and other transportation infrastructure in the municipal right-of-way.
As well, approximately $480 million will be invested in water infrastructure including:
• $200 million on watermains and water services;
• $75 million on sewers;
• $75 million on basement flooding protection; and
• $130 million on storm water management projects including the Don River and Central Waterfront.
Some of the major projects planned for this year include:
• Kipling Avenue, Bloor Street West and Dundas Street West, Six Points Interchange Reconfiguration;
• Four bridges over the Don Valley Parkway, rehabilitation of Don Mills Road, Spanbridge Road, Wynford Drive and Lawrence Avenue bridges;
• Gardiner Expressway Strategic Rehabilitation from Jarvis Street to Cherry Street, first phase;
• Bloor Street West from Bathurst Street to Spadina Avenue, watermain replacement, streetscaping, bike lane construction and road resurfacing;
• Richmond Street from York Street to Bathurst Street, watermain replacement;
• Jarvis Street from Dundas Street to Queen Street, road resurfacing (resuming from 2018);
• Don and Central Waterfront, first phase, Coxwell Bypass Tunnel boring;
• Queen Street East and Eastern Avenue, TTC track replacement;
• Birchmount Road from Eglinton Avenue East to Lawrence Avenue East, road resurfacing;
• Midland Avenue from Danforth Avenue to Lawrence Avenue East, road reconstruction;
• Old Weston Road from St. Clair Avenue West to Rowntree Avenue, road resurfacing;
• Royal York from Dixon Road to Summitcrest Drive, road resurfacing;
• York Mills Road from Leslie Street to Don Mills Road, road resurfacing;
• Willowdale Avenue from Empress Avenue to Finch Avenue, road resurfacing and bike lane installation; and
• Bayview Avenue over the west Don River, bridge repairs.
This work results in approximately 140 kilometres of road paving and 200 kilometres of sewer and watermain improvements.
There will be construction taking place across the city on more than 600 roads.
The City is committed to coordinating construction in a way that minimizes the disruption to the public as much as possible.
To help accelerate projects and to minimize traffic congestion during the construction season, the City will extend work hours for key projects, bundle projects and implement signal-timing changes on parallel routes and enhanced signage at work locations.
This year, 63 projects will operate on extended, overnight or 24/7 work hours.
The public are advised to plan their travel in advance, consider alternate routes, obey signage around work zones and be patient while traveling in and around work zones throughout the city.
Residents, businesses and visitors are encouraged to use the City's web-based map, toronto.ca/roadrestrictions, to help plan their travel and avoid road closures. ■