The Gardiner Expressway will be closed all weekend

It's going to be another messy weekend in Toronto for traffic with the annual spring closure of the Gardiner for maintenance. It's just another reason to hope the Raptors can close out the Heat in Miami on Friday, as a game seven at the ACC with the Expressway closed would bring certain gridlock to the area.

The closure begins at 11 p.m. on Friday and extends through until 5 a.m. on Monday, though occasionally work wraps up early. That's not likely this year, however. In addition to the regular maintenance of guard rails, overpasses, and the road surface, this year the Dowling Ave. bridge will be demolished and work will begin on the construction of a temporary replacement.

Construction on Queen West is sure to aggravate the gridlock, with lane closures and streetcar diversions around the stretch between Spadina and Bathurst. Fortunately, the TTC will be running mostly normally, with the only planned service disruption being a late start on Sunday for the section of Line 2 between St. George and Pape.