Toronto intersection finally reopens after years of traffic headaches

One of Toronto's most construction-plagued intersections has finally reopened after years of tormenting midtown residents.

Reopened for now, at least.

The Yonge and Eglinton intersection has been a mess of varying degrees of obstruction since 2017, with work zones often choking up the majority of the intersection and creating a troublesome bottleneck.

Pedestrians, motorists, and cyclists alike have all struggled with the ever-changing construction zones and resulting chaos at Yonge and Eglinton thanks to an infrastructure project in the area tangentially related to the always-just-out-of-reach Eglinton Crosstown LRT.

To facilitate a connection between the existing Line 1 subway and the future Line 5 Eglinton, the entire Eglinton Station subway platform was shifted to the north by 24 metres. This new platform extension opened back in May 2023.

Several months later, the hectic work area atop the platform extension zone has almost entirely disappeared.

Photos shared by a blogTO reader on Monday show how traffic is just a few fences and pylons away from being restored to conditions not seen in the area for six years.

If it all sounds too good to be true, that's because it is.

Metrolinx shared a construction notice earlier in December advising the public that until "approximately late January 2024, there will be frequent shifts in traffic and pedestrian movements at Eglinton Avenue and Yonge Street as crews work to complete restoration activities in the area."

Upcoming construction activities at the intersection include utility installations, backfilling, road, curb, sidewalk and bike lane restorations, traffic signal installation and activation, and landscaping works, which may require lane reductions.

Residents will likely have to endure more overnight construction noise, while motorists are being advised to "expect delays while travelling through the area."

For the time being, locals should enjoy this taste of what is to come before more fences go up and spoil the fun.