Toronto neighbourhood has had enough of the construction on the Gardiner Expressway
Toronto residents living near the Gardiner Expressway are getting beyond frustrated with losing sleep due to the overnight construction that has recently been taking place on the deteriorating road.
The St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association has issued an official release demanding that the City do something about the "jack hammering, drilling, saw cutting and other activities" that have been impacting their sleep and life in general.
In a big city we must balance necessary construction with the quality of life of residents. The Gardiner construction - 18 months of overnight work- is having a serious negative impact for tens of thousands of Torontonians. The balance is off & the scope/hours of work must change https://t.co/KHYbi5w50C
— Joe Cressy (@joe_cressy) January 9, 2020
The statement says that the noise from the construction, which apparently takes place during all hours of the night, would usually be considered a bylaw violation, but "the City [has] exempted themselves from their own regulations."
The neighbourhood is asking that the louder work on the highway be done during daytime hours. Though the maintenance has been taking place around the clock, measures have been taken to avoid seriously impeding local traffic.
Toronto is definitely the best city in the world. Just as you get ready for bed, a free light and sound show starts every night at about 10:30pm and, no joke, runs until about 2am almost every night. Scheduled until “early 2020” #sleeplessintoronto Seriously, who planned this? pic.twitter.com/4If0M3lvaD
— Preet Banerjee (@preetbanerjee) December 10, 2019
Members of the community plan to meet with City staffers at the St. James Cathedral Centre tomorrow evening to discuss the issue.
This is what the Gardiner rehab construction sounds like right through the night for thousands of Toronto residents - including children and seniors. Mayor @JohnTory and the @cityoftoronto - overnight construction must stop. News release: https://t.co/SpvxdYBqNq @TorontoStar pic.twitter.com/4SWOChxkgH
— SLNASpeaks (@slnaspeaks) January 9, 2020
The ongoing work is part of the Gardiner Expressway Rehabilitation Strategy that will see the iconic, though admittedly anachronistic road replaced and repaired in sections over the next seven years.
Anyone who's been on, under, or anywhere near the highway can attest to the fact that it definitely needs a facelift, not only for aesthetic reasons but structurally in the interest of safety as well. The City deems it "critical work that needs to be done."
But, many over the years have called for the expressway to be demolished completely, in part due to the billions it's costing to fix.
Dear construction ppl working on the Gardiner and jackhammering until 2 am, I hate your noisy ways now (and every night between 9 pm and the wee hours). I know you feel me on this @joe_cressy. -how many residents are being disrupted by this madness? How to put the kids to sleep?
— Hannah Burgé (@Hannah_Burge) December 23, 2019
The portion being renovated at the moment runs 1.7 km between Jarvis Street and Cherry Street, and is due to finish in 2021. Six more phases of the project will follow, ending with the central segment of the 18 km road between Humber River and Fraser Street in 2025-2027.
Overnight work on the Gardiner - effect on residents is unacceptable. Sleep deprivation, illness, spending $$ on white noise machines, headphones... and we have 2 years to go.
— Mika Hamilton (@YesSrICanBougie) December 9, 2019
Video taken at 1am on a schoolnight. #sleeplessintoronto @gwnatoronto @JohnTory pic.twitter.com/h8o1a26sua
Unfortunately for residents, loud overnight construction is not an uncommon practice in big cities around the world.
