Toronto's Gardiner Expressway construction could actually wrap up this year

Originally projected to finish in April 2027, the Gardiner Expressway's construction between Dufferin Street and Strachan Avenue is now way ahead of schedule, with the remaining work potentially wrapping up by the end of 2025, according to the City.

On Tuesday, city manager Paul Johnson confirmed that construction on the aging expressway could be completed by the end of 2025 or early next year, ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026, during which Toronto is set to host six games. The first soccer match kicks off on June 12, 2026. 

Construction on the 60-year-old highway began back in March 2024 and was initially expected to finish in April 2027. However, after an investment of $73 million from the provincial government — which allowed 24/7 work with additional equipment and faster delivery of materials — that timeline was moved up to April 2026. 

Now, with things "progressing very well," the City says construction is currently tracking a further six months ahead of the accelerated timeline. The scope of work for Gardiner Section 2, which spans between Dufferin Street and Strachan Avenue, involves replacing 700 metres of concrete deck and girders, rehabilitating the associated substructure, and installing new street lighting. 

As a result, one westbound lane and one eastbound lane are currently closed between Dufferin and Strachan, and the eastbound on-ramp from Lake Shore Boulevard at Jameson Avenue is also closed for construction. 

While projected to wrap up sooner than expected, the short-term impact on traffic along the Gardiner has been significant throughout construction. According to an analysis conducted by Geotab ITS earlier this year, commute times along the Gardiner have more than doubled in multiple areas compared to pre-construction levels. 

For example, travel times between Humber River and Strachan Avenue have tripled, increasing from eight to 24 minutes, and commuting along the stretch from Jarvis Street to Dufferin Street has increased from 11 minutes to 30 minutes. 

However, once construction wraps up, the provincial government says the expressway will be both structurally safer and could save up to 22 minutes per trip for its 140,000 daily users once all phases are complete. 

The City expects to share a completion date closer to the expected reopening of the expressway.