Construction in the Port Lands

Construction on Lake Shore Boulevard East

Full Closure of Lake Shore Boulevard from Carlaw Avenue to Cherry Street: Saturday, June 14th at 2:00 a.m. to Monday, June 16th at 3:00 a.m. 

Lake Shore Boulevard East will be closed between Carlaw Avenue to Cherry Street due to construction for the new Lake Shore Bridge. Due to these closures, the Don Valley Parkway (DVP) ramps at Lake Shore Boulevard and Don Roadway will also be closed during this period. Detour routes will be in place on Parliament Street, Eastern Avenue, and Carlaw Avenue, as well as on Cherry Street, Commissioners Street and Carlaw Avenue. If necessary, an inclement weather date is scheduled for Saturday, June 21 to Sunday, June 22.

This closure is necessary to install the girders for the new Lake Shore Bridge over the Don River - a major step in reopening the north half of the bridge. Work in this phase includes installing bridge girders for the new westbound lane and multi-use path. 

All work on Lake Shore Boulevard between Carlaw Avenue and the Lake Shore Bridge is expected to be complete by the end of 2025. At the completion of this project, Lake Shore Boulevard will be three lanes in each direction with new landscaping and pedestrian and cycling facilities.
 

Above: a map showing the location of the closure between Carlaw Avenue to Cherry Street and the available detour routes.

Lake Shore Boulevard westbound will remain open to local traffic only between Carlaw Ave and Booth Ave. There will be no access from Booth Avenue to Cherry Street. Detour routes are available via Parliament Street, Eastern Avenue, and Carlaw Avenue as well as on Cherry Street, Commissioners Street, and Carlaw Avenue. 
 

The northbound and southbound DVP ramps from Lake Shore Boulevard will also be closed. Detour routes to access the DVP will be available via the Queen Street and Eastern Avenue on-ramps. The available exits from the DVP will be Richmond Street and the Gardiner Expressway.
 

Why are we doing it this way? 

Rebuilding the Lake Shore Bridge is part of both the Port Lands Flood Protection Project and the Gardiner East Project. Lengthening the bridge is a critical element of our design for flood protection. Widening the bridge is necessary to accommodate the expected increase in traffic resulting from the removal of the overhead Gardiner ramps. The wider bridge will also make space for new cycling and pedestrian paths and more landscaping, including a linear park.
 

Installing the bridge girders requires two large cranes positioned on the eastbound bridge and at either end of the bridge. This makes the bridge impassible to traffic while work is happening. Fully closing Lake Shore Boulevard for one weekend is the safest, fastest and least disruptive way to complete this work. 
 

What to expect starting 2:00 a.m., Saturday June 14^th  

• A detour route will be in place along Parliament Street, Eastern Avenue, and Carlaw Avenue, as well as on Cherry Street, Commissioners Street, and Carlaw Avenue
• Lake Shore Boulevard will be limited to westbound local traffic only between Carlaw Avenue and Booth Avenue, providing access to Morse Street, Logan Avenue, and Booth Avenue.
• The ramps to and from the DVP will be closed. Access to the DVP will be available via the Queen Street and Eastern Avenue on-ramps. The available exits from the DVP will be Richmond Street and the Gardiner Expressway.
• All lane closures will be marked with traffic barrels or fencing
• Paid-duty officers will be at key intersections during the closure to keep traffic flowing as smoothly as possible
• Temporary removal of street parking on the detour routes. A friendly tow service will be used to relocate vehicles parked along the detour routes during the closure (JP Towing Service & Storage Ltd. 416.203.9300) 

Questions?

To learn more about this project, please visit the Lake Shore Boulevard East Project Webpage.

To send us questions or concerns about construction, please use this online inquiry form.
 

You can also email us at plfp@ellisdon.com.

For urgent construction related issues, please contact Kevin Cassar, EllisDon, at 416-594-2198.

Download Construction Notice #56

Lane Reductions and Partial Intersection Closure at Lake Shore Boulevard & Carlaw Avenue: Friday, June 6th at 9:00 p.m. to Tuesday, June 10th at 5:00 a.m.

Lanes will be reduced on Lake Shore Boulevard around the Lake Shore Boulevard and Carlaw Avenue intersection.  There will be no access from Lake Shore Boulevard to Carlaw Avenue south of Lake Shore. 

This work is part of a multi-phase approach to rebuilding Lake Shore Boulevard between Carlaw Avenue and Don Roadway. Work in this phase includes removing the existing asphalt, pouring a new road base, new paving, and line markings in the intersection.

All work on Lake Shore Boulevard between Carlaw Avenue and the Lake Shore Bridge is expected to be complete by the end of 2025. At the completion of this project, Lake Shore Boulevard will be three lanes in each direction with new landscaping and pedestrian and cycling facilities. 

Above: a map showing the location of the closure Carlaw Ave southbound and the alternative route to access the Esso station from Lake Shore Boulevard eastbound due to the closure of the entrance along Lake Shore Boulevard. 

There will be no right or left turn from Lake Shore Boulevard eastbound to Carlaw Avenue. There will be no left turn from Lake Shore Boulevard westbound to Carlaw Avenue southbound. The Esso entrance along Lake Shore Boulevard will be temporarily closed. Access to the Esso Station can be found by driving southbound on Logan Avenue, turning left on Commissioners Street, and turning left on Carlaw Ave. 

For more details, see Construction Notice #55.

No Access Between Booth Ave and Lake Shore Boulevard: as early as June 2 for 6–8 weeks

Beginning as early as June 2nd at 5 a.m. for approximately 6-8 weeks, the intersection of Lake Shore Boulevard and Booth Avenue will be closed. To get off Booth Avenue, use Eastern Avenue, or the laneways that connect to Logan Avenue, as shown on the map above. During this closure, we will be completing work such as building curbs, gutters and catch basins, as well as running electrical conduits and installing lighting. 

Above: a map showing the location of the closure at Booth Avenue. 
 

Lane Reductions approaching Lake Shore Boulevard and Carlaw Avenue Intersection: until mid-June

Lanes will be reduced around the Lake Shore Boulevard and Carlaw Avenue intersection. This work is part of a multi-phase approach to rebuilding Lake Shore Boulevard between Carlaw Avenue and Don Roadway. Work in this phase includes rebuilding curbs, temporary paving, painting line markings, and relocating utilities. 

These lane restrictions are expected to be in place for approximately 6-8 weeks. Future phases of work will have different traffic impacts.  All work on Lake Shore Boulevard between Carlaw Avenue and the Lake Shore Bridge is expected to be complete by the end of 2025. At the completion of this project, Lake Shore Boulevard will be three lanes in each direction with new landscaping and pedestrian and cycling facilities. 

Above: a map showing the location of the lane diversions starting April 21. 

At least one lane will remain open in all directions. There will be no right turn from Lake Shore Boulevard westbound to Carlaw Avenue northbound, or from Carlaw Avenue northbound to Lake Shore Boulevard Eastbound. There continues to be no right turn from Lake Shore Boulevard eastbound to Carlaw Avenue southbound. A detour is in place via Logan Avenue and Commissioners Street. 

For more details about what to expect, view the full construction notice.

Turn Restrictions at Lake Shore Boulevard and Carlaw Avenue Intersection: Until Spring 2025

To facilitate rebuilding Lake Shore Boulevard, there will be no right turn from Lake Shore Boulevard eastbound to Carlaw Avenue southbound and no right turn from Lake Shore Boulevard Westbound on to Carlaw Avenue northbound. A detour will be in place via Logan Avenue and Commissioners Street.

Pedestrians and Cyclists:

• The sidewalk remains closed on the south side of Lake Shore Boulevard East between Carlaw Avenue and Bouchette Street. A detour is in place along Commissioners Street
• All lane closures will be marked with traffic barrels or fencing.

Lane diversions on Lake Shore Boulevard East between Cherry Street and Carlaw Avenue: until December 2025

In December 2023, we opened the new half of the Lake Shore Bridge over the Don River. Now we can start construction on the north side of the road, including new walking and cycling facilities, and replace the other half of the bridge. Traffic on Lake Shore Boulevard has now been moved to the south side of the road and on to the new half of the bridge. The lane configuration continues to be two lanes eastbound and one lane westbound between Don Roadway and Cherry Street.

Full closure of Don Roadway south of Lake Shore Boulevard: Until 2025

To construct permanent flood protection along Don Roadway and rebuild the road, Don Roadway is closed south of Lake Shore Boulevard until 2025.

Lower Don Trail South of Corktown Common Closed

The Lower Don Trail is now closed between Corktown Common and Cherry Street. This closure is in addition to the temporary closure of the multi-use trail on Lake Shore Boulevard between Don Roadway and Booth Avenue and the permanent closure of the cycling/pedestrian bridge over the Don River.
 

A detour route is in place along Mill Street, New Cherry Street, Commissioners Street and Carlaw Avenue. See map below showing the cycling and pedestrian detour routes around the closure of the Lower Don Trail between Corktown Common and Cherry Street and the closure of the multi-use trail along Lake Shore Boulevard between Don Roadway and Logan Avenue. 

Minimizing Construction Impacts

Port Lands Flood Protection is a seven-year construction project – and one of the largest infrastructure projects in Toronto’s history.  
 

During the Don Mouth Naturalization and Port Lands Flood Protection Environmental Assessment, the project team identified potential impacts from this construction and developed a series of plans to manage these impacts. Following these Environmental Management Plans will allow us to minimize impacts to the environment during and after construction. These plans may be modified to reflect new information or challenges encountered on the construction site.  
 

We recognize the challenges and inconveniences construction presents to local communities. While some construction projects cannot be changed or delayed, we minimize impacts as best we can.
 

Here are some of the ways we’re reducing construction impacts for the Lake Shore Boulevard East project:
 

• Coordinating with the City of Toronto and outside agencies such as Metrolinx and Toronto Hydro to identify their construction needs and avoid overlapping road closures
• Changes to lane configuration and traffic signal timing to keep traffic moving
• Reconstruction at certain intersections and ramps to the Gardiner Expressway to improve the flow of traffic during construction
   

Do you have a concern, complaint or question about construction? Contact us at info@waterfrontoronto.ca.
 

Construction Schedule

Construction on the Port Lands Flood Protection project started in 2017 and will be done in 2025. We’ll continue to adjust our construction sequencing and timing to account for factors like nearby construction and coordination with our partners. 

Construction on the Lake Shore Boulevard East project started August 31, 2021. Construction is scheduled to be complete in 2025.

Beginning in mid-January 2025, there will be state of good repair work on two of the piers supporting the ramp from the eastbound Gardiner Expressway to the northbound Don Valley Parkway.   

To sign up for construction notices, please contact us at info@waterfrontoronto.ca.