One of Toronto’s busiest expressways is undergoing emergency repairs — despite 18 months of work and just 100 days before the FIFA World Cup soccer tournament begins in the city.
The Gardiner Expressway is one of the most heavily traveled highways in Canada, and it is the main corridor into and out of Toronto’s downtown. Construction on the Gardiner was completed in 1966, but over the past few years, the province of Ontario and the city have poured millions of dollars into its rehabilitation.
"The Gardiner is old," said Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow. "We are rebuilding it. We’re fixing it above and below. It needs major work."
Recent work on the Gardiner was completed months ahead of schedule but new issues have arisen. An annual inspection showed severe concrete deterioration at some bridges along the 12-mile expressway. The city’s chief engineer says the affected areas compromise the upper level’s load-carrying capacity, and that could pose a serious safety hazard to motorists and travelers below.
The emergency repairs began in November, and officials hope they will be completed before the summer.
"If it needs to be fixed, it’ll be 24-7 and we will rush ahead and do it before the FIFA World Cup," Chow said. "And then after FIFA World Cup, we will be back again."
Some engineering experts say the harsh winter, with more-than-average snowfall, led to more use of road salt, which is instrumental in accelerating damage to concrete.
The city’s chief engineer says the Gardner remains safe to travel on and under and no major road closures or disruptions are expected because of the emergency work.
