Get ready for an (even more) awful Gardiner commute

Commuting on the Gardiner Expressway can be trying at the best of times, but it's about to get a whole lot worse - and for a longer time. Long term construction work began this morning on the troubled highway, which will extend until 2016. No, that's not a typo. Along with periodic weekend closures like we had on Saturday, lane reductions will become an everyday reality for those travelling to and from the core of the city.

Reports from this morning indicated that traffic had slowed to stop-and-go prior to 7:00 a.m. with the left lane closed in both directions from Park Lawn to Strachan. That's going to mean some groggy-eyed wake-ups for those hoping to beat traffic into the city. Ouch. The crumbling expressway needs all manner of work, including bridge repairs over the Humber River, guardrail work, and replacement of the centre median and a deck of roadway on the westbound side near the CNE.

In addition to daytime lane reductions, the eastbound Gardiner will also be closed periodically overnight (from 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.) so that work crews can address repairs that require complete lane closures. Let the road rage begin.