Headache-filled weekend for drivers, TTC riders: DVP and subway closures

Spring-like weather is set to blossom this weekend with sunny skies and milder temperatures, but that happy feeling won’t last long if you’re driving around town or taking the TTC this weekend.

There’s a scheduled closure on a major Toronto artery, a partial subway closure on one line and a late opening on another. With the Toronto Raptors in playoff action at the Air Canada Centre on Saturday and a slew of other events taking place in the city, getting around may be stressful.

First up, drivers: The Don Valley Parkway will be closed between the Gardiner Expressway and Highway 401 from 11 p.m. on Friday to 5 a.m. on Monday for annual spring maintenance. If it rains, the maintenance will be moved to the weekend of April 29 to May 1.

Road crews will be fixing bridges, filling potholes, sealing cracks, flushing and inspecting culverts, inspecting and repairing 73 overhead signs, guiderail repairs, sweeping up of debris, and re-lamping the street lights, among other work.

Motorists can use Don Mills Road, Bayview Avenue, Victoria Park Avenue, and Kingston Road as alternates.

And if you thought the TTC will be the better way to get around this weekend, think again. Subways won’t be running on Line 1 (Yonge-University-Spadina) between St. George and Lawrence West stations on Saturday and Sunday due to signal and track work.

Shuttle buses will be running and stopping at all stations except for Glencairn, Eglinton West and St. Clair West stations. In these three cases, buses will stop near the stations. Click here for details.

Also, subway service will start at noon on Sunday on Line 2 (Bloor-Danforth) between St. George and Pape stations due to bridge work on the Prince Edward Viaduct. Shuttle buses will be stopping at all stations.

But wait, that’s not it. The 506 Carlton streetcar will be diverting between Lansdowne Avenue and Bathurst Street from 10 p.m. on Friday to 5 a.m. on Monday for overhead wire work. Shuttle buses will run between Spadina Avenue and Landsdowne Station.

If you’re heading to Pearson International Airport, Metrolinx says UP Express service will be affected starting Friday and into the weekend due to GO Transit work on the Lansdowne Bridge.

Trains will be running every 30 minutes, instead of 15 minutes, and there could be times when service is temporarily shut down. During the rail shutdown, replacement buses will be provided between Union Station and Pearson International Airport.

Upcoming road and TTC closures

TTC
This weekend’s Line 1 closure is the latest in a series that started in March. The subway will be closed for at least a weekend every single month until December for TTC upgrades.

The next scheduled closure is on Line 2 between Kennedy and Victora Park stations on April 23-24.

City highways and streets
Spring cleanup on the Gardiner Expressway is scheduled to take place May 13-16. Click here for a full list of upcoming closures on the Gardiner, DVP and Lake Shore Boulevard.

And starting next week, it will be a tight squeeze through a section of Gerrard Street downtown for the next few months. As of Monday, one lane on both sides of Gerrard from Yonge to Church streets will be closed while the watermains are replaced, the road resurfaced and the bike lanes and sidewalks are upgraded.

The Gerrard closure is expected will last until the end of July. Construction hours have been extended to speed up the project, and the city warns there will be times when overnight work will be required.

Also starting Monday, westbound Lake Shore Boulevard, from York Street to Rees Street, will be reduced to one lane except from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays when two lanes will be open. The closure, which is for Toronto Hydro work, will be around the clock, seven days a week, with a completion date of July 27.

The city has adjusted the work schedule so all lanes will re-open during the full closure of the Gardiner in May and the Ride for Heart in early June.

Richmond Street, from Yonge to Bay streets, will be also reduced to two lanes from Monday until July 1 for road and sidewalk repairs. One lane will be used for cyclists and pedestrians.