DVP closed, part of Line 2 shut down: What you need to know about getting around Toronto this weekend

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Pack your patience and plan your routes this weekend as it may be more challenging than usual to get around Toronto given major road and TTC closures.

The Don Valley Parkway will be fully closed from Highway 401 to the Jarvis Street ramp on the Gardiner Expressway from 11 p.m. on Friday to 5 a.m. Monday for critical maintenance work, the city says.

Meanwhile, a portion of TTC’s Line 2 will be closed from Jane to Kipling stations from 11 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Sunday for planned signal work. Shuttle buses will be operating.

“We do appreciate the patience of Torontonians and encourage people to plan ahead for this weekend,” Andrew Posluns, the city’s chief congestion officer, told reporters on Friday.

“Consider transit if that is an option that works for them, and if driving, give themselves extra time to get to where they need to go this weekend.”

Posluns said work on the DVP is critical to maintain the “integrity and performance” of the roadway. The work includes road resurfacing, guardrail replacements, catch basin cleaning and repairs, lighting inspections and repairs.

‘There is no date that’s perfect,’ traffic czar says 

The work must be done to reduce the risk of any “unexpected failure or flooding” during the FIFA World Cup, he said.

“In a busy city like Toronto, with frequent sporting events, concerts and other activities going on around the city, we know that there is no date that’s perfect that will not conflict with something. We’ve worked extensively with our partners to identify dates when this work would proceed.”

Posluns said the city chose this weekend to avoid “concurrent closures” on north and south GO Transit, TTC routes and scheduled highway work. He said the city takes a good look at events happening in Toronto when choosing the date of a closure.

Andrew Posluns, the city’s chief congestion officer, says: ‘In a busy city like Toronto, with frequent sporting events, concerts and other activities going on around the city, we know that there is no date that’s perfect that will not conflict with something.’ (Tina Mackenzie/CBC)

In an April 21 news release, the city said it is taking steps to ease the disruption this weekend.

Those steps include increased GO Transit service to Union and to Exhibition stations, deployment of traffic agents, real-time adjustments to traffic signal timing on alternative routes, and advance messaging on electronic messaging boards.

The closures come as several events are set to take place in the city:

• The Toronto Blue Jays play the Los Angeles Angels starting at 7 p.m. Friday night.
• Toronto FC plays Inter Miami CF at at BMO Field at 1 p.m. Saturday.
• The Sporting Life 10K is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. Sunday in the Yonge Street and Lawrence Avenue area.

Other road closures this weekend include:

• Eastern/Adelaide Bridge Rehabilitation Project: One westbound lane of Eastern Avenue over the DVP will be closed until Monday at 5 a.m.
• Elizabeth Street will be closed from Gerrard Street West to Elm Street from 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
• Gardiner Expressway – British Columbia Road and Lake Shore Boulevard on-ramp: The on-ramp will be closed to complete repairs to a collapsed catch basin from 10 p.m. Sunday to about 10 p.m. Tuesday.
• Market Street will be closed from Front Street W. to The Esplanade starting Sunday until January 2027. More information can be found on the Old Town Toronto BIA website.
• St. Clair Avenue bridge between Inglewood Drive and Avoca Avenue has been reduced to one lane in each direction, until further notice, after a recent fire.

The following roads will be closed Sunday for the Sporting Life 10K Run:

• Bayview Avenue between River Street and Mill Street, and Mill Street between Tannery Road and Bayview Avenue from 4 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Yonge Street between Lawrence Avenue and Eglinton Avenue from 4 a.m. to noon.
• Yonge Street between Eglinton Avenue and Front Street from 6:30 a.m. to noon.
• Front Street between Eastern Avenue and Bayview Avenue from 4 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Front Street between Yonge Street and Eastern Avenue from 6:30 a.m. to noon.