Lots of Toronto roads closed this weekend as waterfront marathon, construction take over downtown
Getting around some parts of Toronto will be even trickier over the coming days and weeks, with construction-related road closures, temporary public transit changes and a downtown marathon all on the calendar.
Here's some key information that might help you plan ahead and (maybe) avoid traffic headaches.
Toronto Waterfront Marathon
The Toronto Waterfront Marathon is set for Sunday, Oct. 15.
There's a lot of related road closures, including some of the city's busiest thoroughfares, with the earliest beginning Saturday at 7 a.m. and the last lifting at 9 p.m. Sunday.
Reopening of roads will be staggered throughout the day Sunday as thousands of runners complete various parts of the route.
A map of the route and a full list of road closures can be found here.
TTC bus and streetcar service will be affected by the race closures. You can find information about specific service changes here.
Changes to Metrolinx service
Metrolinx customers who rely on the Lakeshore East and Stouffville lines take heed.
Beginning at 10 p.m. Friday, service on the line will be suspended until Sunday night for "important infrastructure work," the provincial transit agency says. GO shuttle buses will replace train service between the Durham College Oshawa, Whitby, Ajax, and Pickering GO stations, then express to Union Station bus terminal.
Then on Monday, Oct. 16, Lakeshore East rail service will only run between the Oshawa and Danforth GO stations. There will be no trains to Union Station. Riders are urged to the TTC to travel to and from the Rouge Hill, Guildwood, Eglinton, Scarborough or Danforth GO stations.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, trains on the Stouffville line will only run between Old Elm GO and Kennedy GO stations. There will be no trains on this line to Union Station.
Metrolinx is urging riders to use the TTC to travel between Kennedy and Union. Those looking for direct travel to Union Station on Monday should consider riding the Richmond Hill line in the morning and afternoon, Metrolinx says.
The temporary changes are necessary for work to expand the Stouffville line and shift tracks at Union Station, Metrolinx says.
You can find a real-time list of GO service updates here.
Construction lane reductions, road closures
Soon after the last of the marathon-related road closures lift Sunday, a series of lane reductions will be instated around the waterfront Monday as Enbridge Gas relocates critical infrastructure for the city's Port Lands Flood Protection Project.
Here's what you need to know:
From 6 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 16, until 6 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 19, Lake Shore Boulevard East will be reduced to one lane in each direction at the Don Roadway.
From 6 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 16, until 6 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 22, the Don Roadway will have reduced lanes north of Lake Shore Boulevard East.
From 6 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 19, until 6 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 22, Lake Shore Boulevard East will be reduced to one shared lane for eastbound and westbound traffic.
Meanwhile, beginning at 11 p.m. Friday, Dundas Street East will be closed from Broadview to Logan avenues for the demolition and removal of a GO train bridge. Dundas is set to reopen at 4 a.m. Monday. The city says local and pedestrian access will be maintained throughout the work.
You can find more information about the bridge project here.
Last but certainly not least, starting on Monday the busy intersection of Adelaide and York streets downtown will be closed as crews continue to install new streetcar tracks. The closure is expected to remain in place until mid-December. Other streets in the area will be open to local and pedestrian traffic only throughout the construction.
The intersection of Adelaide and Yonge streets, which has been closed this week as part of this same project, is scheduled to reopen at 11 p.m. Friday.
