Location: below the Gardiner Expressway
Date photo taken: 30 August 2020
The Gardiner Expressway, named for Frederick G. Gardiner, the first chair of the former Metro Toronto Council, was constructed between 1956 and 1965, making parts of it over 60 years old. Regular wear and tear combined with weather and the effects of road salt have taken their toll and in 2019 the first phase of the Gardiner Expressway Rehabilitation Strategy was implemented. The focus for this first phase is the section between Jarvis and Cherry Streets, at the eastern end, and represents approximately 1.5 kilometers of the elevated portion of the expressway. The deck is being replaced using a new method known as accelerated bridge construction in which replacement sections are pre-fabricated elsewhere (in this case, in very large tent-like structures just to the east of the site) and then transported and lowered into position. Work on this section, including repairing the ramps, is expected to be completed in 2021.
#DYK that the expressway is 18 kms long, with 11 km at grade and 7 km elevated? For more facts, and some great early photos, check out About the Gardiner Expressway on the City's website.