Learn About Major Construction Taking Place in Toronto-Danforth and its Impacts on Local Traffic and Transit Service
Last updated on April 17th, 2024
You can find updates on the various construction projects taking place in Ward 14 below.
My weekly e-newsletter contains the latest updates on these projects and more. Subscribe to get the latest updates delivered right to your inbox.
Working for you,
Paula
On this page:
- Metrolinx Ontario Line Construction Updates
- Transit Updates
- TTC Second Exit/Entrance and Easier Access Projects
- Port Lands Construction
- Millwood Road Safety Improvements
Metrolinx Ontario Line Construction Updates
Below you will find the latest on Metrolinx construction in Ward 14, broken down by area.
Remember that you can report any issues to Metrolinx 24/7 at 416-202-5100.
Pape North
Geotechnical Drilling & Demolition at Pape & Sammon
Metrolinx is conducting geotechnical drilling works to assess ground conditions in the Pape & Sammon area. This will be followed by the abatement and demolition of the buildings on the properties at 891, 887, and 885 Pape.
Work began in early April and is expected to take one month to complete. Read Metrolinx's construction notice for more details.
Pape Bus Bay Construction
To facilitate major construction at Pape Station for the Ontario Line, Metrolinx is demolishing the bus bays on the east side of Pape Station and construct replacement bus bays on Lipton.
This will result in new boarding areas for Pape Station busses beginning March 31st. Jump to Transit Updates for more details.
Construction will take place from Monday to Saturday between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. TTC customers and nearby residents can expect noise from construction work within the work zone.
This work is expected to take 10 weeks and is scheduled for completion in June.
Read Metrolinx's construction notice for more details.
No Pedestrian Access Between Lipton & Eaton for Demolition Work
There is no pedestrian access between Lipton and Eaton to accommodate Metrolinx's demolition of the properties outlined in this map as of March 27th (as per Metrolinx's most recent notice).
The closure is expected to remain in place until September 2024. Read Metrolinx's construction notice for more details.
Sidewalk Detour at Pape & Danforth
Pedestrians are required to use the protective detour installed within the westbound Danforth bike lane between Eaton and 670 Danforth for Ontario Line-related demolition work.
Read Metrolinx's construction notice for more details.
Underground Utility Work on Danforth
Rogers and Toronto Hydro began moving underground utilities on Danforth in the vicinity of the future Ontario Line Pape Station site on March 11th (as per Metrolinx's most recent notice).
The work zone, outlined on this map, will occupy westbound lanes on Danforth, including a portion of the on-street parking lane. One lane of traffic will be maintained in both directions for the duration of this work.
The westbound bicycle lane will be occupied for this work. Cyclists will be provided with a dedicated lane where possible. If not possible, cyclists will merge into the westbound traffic lane to continue west to Pape.
Residents and businesses in the area may hear noise caused by work equipment, though Metrolinx states it will take measures to minimize noise impacts wherever possible.
Work will take place from Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and is expected to last until mid-June.
Read Metrolinx's construction notice for more details.
Overnight Monitoring Work at Pape-Sammon & Pape-Gertrude
Overnight ground level monitoring work began on February 26th near Pape & Sammon and Pape & Gertrude.
Work will take place from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. and is expected to finish in May.
Monitoring will be performed on sidewalks, laneways, and the roadway within this area. Read Metrolinx's construction notice for more details.
Pape & Danforth Area Demolition Work
Crews have begun demolishing these Metrolinx-owned properties near Pape Station.
The abatement of the interior buildings will be done entirely within the structures and will not cause any impacts to surroundings.
Work will take place Monday to Friday between 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Construction began February 12th, 2024 and is expected to take approximately five months to complete.
Short-term traffic interruptions can be expected. TTC bus and subway service will not be impacted.
Read Metrolinx's construction notice for more details on the demolition work.
Pape North & Don Valley Ontario Line Construction Meeting: Recording & Slides
View the recording and presentation slides from the April 2024 meeting me and TDSB Trustee Sara Ehrhardt hosted on construction impacts to the Pape & Cosburn and Pape & O'Connor areas and the Don Valley
Pape-Danforth & Pape-Sammon Ontario Line Construction Meeting: Recording & Slides
View the recording and presentation slides from the March 2024 meeting me and TDSB Trustee Sara Ehrhardt hosted on construction impacts to the Pape-Danforth and Pape-Sammon areas.
Pape South
Sewer Work Near Pape School
As part of utility relocation works near Pape School to facilitate Ontario Line construction, crews will install a sewer bypass line along the east side of Pape, followed by trenching for Toronto Hydro installation in the same footprint.
Work began April 8th (as per Metrolinx's most recent notice) and will take place on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and weekends from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. for approximately eight to ten weeks.
Impacts include temporary pedestrian detours and traffic impacts, including periodic restrictions to vehicle access to the shopping centre from Pape.
In addition, street parking within the vicinity of the work zone on Pape is restricted and the Pape Avenue Junior Public School pick-up drop-off has been relocated temporarily onto Langley Avenue to ensure safety and traffic flow.
Parking on Langley opposite the temporary student pick-up/drop off zone will be removed. Read Metrolinx's construction notice for more details.
Toronto Hydro Infrastructure Relocation at Pape and Riverdale
Toronto Hydro is relocating underground electrical equipment along Pape from Riverdale to south of Langley to accommodate Ontario Line construction.
Work began in late January and will finish in approximately six months.
Read Metrolinx's construction notice for more details.
Pape & Riverdale Ontario Line Construction Meeting: Recording & Slides
View the recording and presentation slides of the February 2024 meeting TDSB Trustee Sara Ehrhardt and I hosted on construction impacts to the Pape-Riverdale area, including Pape School.
Lakeshore East Rail Corridor
Overnight Work Continues until April 18th
Overnight work along the rail corridor is scheduled to continue until Thursday April 18th.
Construction noise can be expected near work areas, which includes between Jones and Thackeray along with the Queen, Dundas and Logan bridges.
Read Metrolinx's construction notice for more details.
Daytime & Overnight Retaining Wall/Noise Barrier Construction Begins April 22nd
Retaining wall construction is scheduled to start on the east side of the rail corridor between Eastern and Dundas on Monday, April 22nd.
Retaining wall construction will take place day and night intermittently in each area for approximately six months. Noise barrier installation will begin as each section of retaining wall is completed.
Work will take place during the day Monday to Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and overnight Sunday to Thursday from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. for approximately six months.
Construction noise should be expected in work areas, Metrolinx will implement noise mitigation measures and noisier work will take place during the day. No traffic or pedestrian impacts are anticipated.
Read Metrolinx's construction notice for more details.
Weekend Overnight Work Scheduled for May 3rd-5th
Overnight construction in the Lakeshore East rail corridor is scheduled for the weekend of May 3rd-5th.
Work is scheduled to take place Friday from 7 p.m. to Monday at 5 a.m. along the rail corridor between approximately Saulter and Jones outlined in this map.
GO train service will be impacted. No traffic or pedestrian impacts are expected.
There will be noise from construction equipment, though noise mitigation measures, including noise barriers and noise reducing equipment, will be implemented and louder work, including demolition activities, will take place during the day.
Read Metrolinx's construction notice for more details.
Queen Street East Bridge
Bridge Demolition and Reconstruction
The piers and abutments at the Queen Street East bridge are being demolished. Once the demolition work is completed, new bridge abutments will be built.
Construction will take place in two stages, with work starting on the north side of Queen St. E. and then shifting to the south side of the road.
Work will take place Monday to Saturday between 5 a.m. and 7 p.m., though it may periodically continue until 10 p.m. to complete critical activities. Work is expected to take six months to complete.
Traffic lane and pedestrian closures are required to complete this work safely.
Work was scheduled to begin April 9th, 2024 after being postponed multiple times but was rescheduled again. It's now slated to start this Monday, April 29th.
Read Metrolinx's updated construction notice for more.
De Grassi Sewer Work
Utility investigation work followed by sewer installation will begin on De Grassi north of Queen began April 8th (as per Metrolinx's latest notice).
This work is required for the future Riverside-Leslieville subway station.
Utility investigation is expected to take two days. This will be followed by sewer installation, which is scheduled to begin April 15th and will take approximately two weeks to complete. Work will take place Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Read Metrolinx's construction notice for more details.
Logan Avenue Bridge
Logan Avenue Bridge Pier Construction
Work to construct new bridge piers on the Logan Avenue bridge has begun.
Work will take place Monday – Friday, between 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. for approximately three months.
Current traffic lane reductions and bike lane closures on Logan will remain in place for the duration of this work. Read Metrolinx's construction notice for more details.
Dundas Street East Bridge
Weekend Overnight Work and Road Closure Postponed
There will be overnight work and full road closures underneath the Dundas Street East Bridge over three separate weekends to fully demolish the bridge abutments.
Metrolinx postponed the April 5th-9th weekend closure. Metrolinx initially scheduled the first closure for early March but has postponed it multiple times.
I will share the new dates for the weekend closures once confirmed by Metrolinx.
Pier Reconstruction Work
Pier reconstruction work on the Dundas Street East Bridge is underway.
Work will take place from Monday to Friday between 5 a.m. and 7 p.m., though work may need to periodically continue until 10 p.m.
Traffic, pedestrian, and bike lane closures will be required to complete this work safely.
Construction will take place in two stages and is expected to finish by early June 2024.
Read Metrolinx's updated construction notice for more details.
Lower Don
Nightly DVP Lane Closures
Starting as early as Monday, April 1, 2024, traffic lanes on the Don Valley Parkway (DVP) will be closed nightly for approximately one month to install new utilities on the DVP rail bridge.
The on-ramp and off-ramp connecting the DVP to Don Roadway and Lake Shore will also be periodically closed during this work.
Read Metrolinx's construction notice for more details.
Construction of Lower Don Bridge East Abutment Begins Early April
Starting in early April 2024, construction of the east abutment for the new Lower Don bridge will begin.
This work will take place north of the existing rail bridge and east of the Don Valley Parkway. Read Metrolinx's construction notice for more details.
Eastern Avenue Bridge
Bridge Reconstruction - Long Term Lane Closures in Effect
Reconstruction of the Eastern Avenue Bridge is underway as part of the East Harbour Transit Hub project.
Traffic on Eastern between Dibble and Lewis is reduced to a single lane in each direction until 2026.
Sidewalks on either side will remain open. Read the construction notice for more details.
These dates may change. Subscribe to my weekly newsletter for the latest updates on these projects.
Transit Updates
Pape Bus Service Changes for Ontario Line Construction
To facilitate the construction of the future Pape Ontario Line station, Pape Station will be impacted by service changes and disruptions from March to October 2024 in two phases.
Phase 1: New Pape Station Bus Boarding Areas
The first phase of service changes began on March 31st and are scheduled to run until May 11th.
The Pape Station bus terminal will be partially closed for demolition work on the east side bus bay canopy to prepare for construction. As a result, there are new boarding areas for Pape Station busses which are as follows:
- The 25 Don Mills and 925 Don Mills Express are serving the station from two new temporary bus bays off Lipton
- The 81 Thorncliffe is serving the station on-street at a stop location just in front of Pape Station's main entrance
Wheel-Trans has moved from Bay 3 to Bay 2 within the terminal, shifting slightly west to avoid the active work zone. Line 2 shuttle buses are picking up customers on Danforth Avenue. The 72 will continue to load and off-load passengers at it's current area.
View this map for more details.
All routes will continue to serve Pape Station during this first phase. Pape Station subway service may be disrupted intermittently. Advance notice will be provided.
Phase 2: Bus Route Diversions & Service Changes from May to October
Phase 2 will involve the following diversions and service changes for bus routes serving Pape Station between May and October:
- The 25 Don Mills and 925 Express will divert to Broadview Station via O'Connor and Broadview
- The 81 Thorncliffe Park will be suspended and replaced by the extended 72A/72C Pape Bus
- The 72B will be suspended. The new 114 Queens Quay East route will replace 72B service between Union and Commissioners only
The 72A/72C will be the only bus routes serving Pape Station from May to October. There will be no bus service from Pape Station to the Port Lands during this time.
Pape Station subway service may be disrupted intermittently. Advance notice will be provided.
Read the TTC's service update to learn more.
These dates may change. Check back regularly for the most up to date information.
Subscribe to my weekly newsletter for the latest updates on TTC service changes impacting Toronto-Danforth.
TTC Second Exit/Entrance and Easier Access Projects
The Donlands Station Second Exit/Entrance & Easier Access and Greenwood Station Easier Access projects are underway to improve accessibility, safety and convenience for TTC customers.
Read more about the TTC’s second exit planning and consultation process.
Donlands Station
Donlands Station's new secondary entrance/exit and elevator are both scheduled to open in June 2024.
Read the TTC's latest update here. Learn more about the project on the TTC's website.
Greenwood Station
The TTC is conducting work at the intersection of Strathmore Boulevard & Linnsmore Crescent to make Greenwood Station accessible.
Construction is expected to finish in mid-2025 once the new elevators are in service.
View the latest Greenwood Station project updates. Learn more about the project here.
Port Lands Construction
Work on the Port Lands Flood Protection and Lake Shore Boulevard East projects is underway.
These projects have impacts on Lake Shore Boulevard, Gardiner Expressway, Cherry and Commissioners Streets, cycling facilities on Lake Shore Boulevard East and the Lower Don Trail.
Read my update for more on the exciting and historic Port Lands project.
Learn more about Toronto's newest community being built in the Port Lands.
March 2024: Removal of West Plug Underway
Work is underway on the next key project milestone in the Port Lands.
Prep work on the removal of the west plug, the concrete wall sitting under the Cherry South bridge at Polson and Cherry, begun in early March.
Overall, removing the west plug will take about three months, with the concrete wall will be lifted out in large pieces.
February 2024: Traffic Lanes Reopened on Ship Channel Bridge
Both the north and south lanes of vehicle traffic on the Ship Channel Bridge in the Port Lands fully re-opened in early February 2024.
This marks a substantial completion of phase one of the city's and Ports Toronto's project to revitalize the Ship Channel Bridge.
January 2024: New Bridges and Roads Opened
The Cherry Street North and Commissioners Street bridges along with the newly realigned Cherry and Commissioners Streets opened in late January 2024.
In addition, the gradual flooding of the new Don River began in early February 2024.
These are important milestones in the historic Port Lands Flood Protection Project, which you can read more about here.
New Bridges
The Cherry Street North and Commissioners Street bridges are part of a series of new bridges needed to connect Villiers Island and other areas in the transformed Port Lands to each other and the rest of the city.
Commissioners Street Bridge
The Commissioners Street Bridge spans the new river valley west of Don Roadway and connects the new Villiers Island to the rest of the Port Lands.
Cherry Street North Bridge
The Cherry Street North Bridge crosses the Keating Channel, connecting pedestrians, cyclists and motorists to New Cherry Street from Lake Shore.
It replaces the existing bridge, which will be removed.
New Road Alignments
New Cherry Street and the realigned Commissioners Street are now open. Some portions of existing Cherry Street and Villiers Street will be closed.
New Cherry Street
The new alignment of Cherry, called 'New Cherry Street' for now, creates a simpler crossing of Lake Shore. It also has a fully separated multi-use trail and sidewalk.
- New Cherry Street is now open between Lake Shore and Commissioners.
- The old alignment of Cherry between Villiers and Commissioners remains open. It continues to be called 'Cherry Street' for now.
- The old alignment of Cherry between Lake Shore and Villiers is permanently closed.
- Traffic signals at Lake Shore and the old alignment of Cherry have been turned off.
This map outlines the above changes to Cherry.
Lake Shore is restricted to two lanes eastbound and one lane westbound between Don Roadway and Cherry. Don Roadway south of Lake Shore remains closed.
Commissioners Street
Commissioners has been rebuilt between Cherry and Saulter with new bike lanes on either side and the just-opened bridge over the new river valley.
- Commissioners has reopened between Cherry and Saulter, connecting to the new extension of Commissioners west of Cherry and the existing roadway east of Saulter.
- Villiers is closed east of Munition Street.
Access to businesses in the all the above areas will be maintained.
This map shows the status of all roads in the Port Lands as of January 24th, including New Cherry Street and the reconfigured Commissioners Street.
Read the construction notice for more details.
Getting Around the Port Lands
Driving
Vehicles heading to the Port Lands via New Cherry Street:
- To access New Cherry Street from the east, go south on Carlaw and turn right onto Commissioners.
- Traffic traveling north/south and from the west can access New Cherry Street at Lake Shore
Cycling and Walking
The multi-use Martin Goodman Trail now runs along New Cherry Street south of Lake Shore and continues past Commissioners.
This is now the new north-south cycling and pedestrian route through the Port Lands.
Commissioners will replace Villiers Street as cyclists' and pedestrians' main east-west connection through the Port Lands and across the Don River.
Read the construction notice or view this map of available cycling routes for more details.
Transit
TTC bus service is operating along the realigned Cherry Street and Commissioners Street.
Read the construction notice or visit Waterfront Toronto's website for more on these changes.
Read my update for more on this project and the significance of these changes.
Visit Waterfront Toronto's website for more on:
- The Port Lands Flood Protection project
- The Lake Shore Boulevard East Project
- Recent or upcoming public meetings
Subscribe to my weekly newsletter for the latest updates on the exciting and historic project in the Port Lands.
Millwood Road Safety Improvements
The city is expected to begin road improvements on Millwood, Pape and Donlands in April 2024. This will include:
- New separated cycle tracks on Millwood (Leaside Bridge) south of Overlea
- New intersection design at Pape and Donlands including new pedestrian crossings, new/upgraded bikeways, wider sidewalks and relocated bus stops
- Changes to the design of several intersections along Pape
The proposed Leaside Bridge to Danforth Avenue Cycling Connections project is also expected to be part of this work.
Work is anticipated to begin in April 2024 and is expected to be complete by December 2024.
There will be lane reductions and other traffic impacts, along with two weekend closures of the Millwood & Pape/Donlands intersection (by the south end of the Leaside Bridge) later this summer.
Sign-up to receive project email updates from the city here. Read the city's March 2024 construction notice or visit the project website to learn more.
