It was the on-ramp to an expressway that was never built. In the 1960s, planners envisioned highways reaching into all suburbs of the city, including southern Scarborough. Because of the cost and a growing public belief that building more highways would not solve traffic congestion, only a 1.3-kilometre section of the planned Scarborough Expressway was ever built. It became known as the Gardiner Expressway East, an extension of the Gardiner Expressway from the Don Valley Parkway east to Leslie Street.
Demolition of Leslie Street ramp viewed from north side of detour, looking south-eastPhotographer: Peter MacCallumJanuary 20, 2001Series 572, File 77.
By the 1990s, the expressway’s elevated structure had become too expensive to maintain. In 1999, Toronto City Council voted to demolish the elevated section of the Gardiner Expressway East, and replace it with an improved and higher-capacity Lake Shore Boulevard East that would include bicycle lanes, landscaping, and a public art project.
Removing desk and cutting ties between beams, top end of new ramp, Photographer: Peter MacCallum, September 29, 2000, Series 572, File 42
Award-winning photographer Peter MacCallum was hired by the City’s Works and Emergency Services Department to document the demolition and reconstruction work. Industrial environments have been a particular interest of MacCallum’s throughout his career, and his photographs of this project show the dismantling of the elevated expressway, the reconstruction of Lake Shore Boulevard East, and the building of new on and off ramps to connect the main Gardiner Expressway to the new Lake Shore Boulevard East. The images shown here are only a small selection from over 1300 photographs MacCallum took during the project.
Click on any image below to see an enlarged image
Forming a new deck for crossover lanes, Photographer: Peter MacCallum, September 1, 2000, Series 572, File 25
Existing bents being restored east of the Don Valley Parkway, looking west, August 26, 2000, Photographer: Peter MacCallum, Series 572, File 22.
End of eastbound Gardiner west of Leslie Street, Photographer: Peter MacCallum, August 3, 1997, Series 572 , File 1.
Pouring a footing for a new bent near Saulter Street, looking east, Photographer: Peter MacCallum, June 30-July 1, 2000, Series 572, File 9
Framework for cap beam of new bent at Saulter Street, Photographer: Peter MacCallum, September 13, 2000, Series 572, File 32
Crew pouring concrete on north side of new deck, Photographer: Peter MacCallum, September 13, 2000, Series 572, File 34
Work on old deck Work on old deck, Photographer: Peter MacCallum, September 18, 2000, Series 572, File 35
New columns to support extension of cap beams on existing bents, Photographer: Peter MacCallum, September 29, 2000, Series 572, File 41
Removing desk and cutting ties between beams, top end of new ramp, Photographer: Peter MacCallum, September 29, 2000, Series 572, File 42
South side of deck removed opposite Booth Avenue, looking west, Photographer: Peter MacCallum, November 4 or 15, 2000, Series 572, File 50
Concrete pumping setup for new deck section, looking east, Photographer: Peter MacCallum, November 25, 2000, Series 572, File 54.
McLeary Park, looking east toward Carlaw Avenue, Photographer: Peter MacCallum, November 27, 2000, Series 572, File 56
New ramp for eastbound traffic, Photographer: Peter MacCallum, December 9, 2000, Series 572, File 60
Cutting girders for scrap, Photographer: Peter MacCallum, January 12, 2001, Series 572, File 69
Top of old westbound ramp looking east to Leslie Street, Photographer: Peter MacCallum, December 23, 2000, Series 572, File 62
Demolition work from top of Leslie Street off ramp, looking west, Photographer: Peter MacCallum, January 6, 2001, Series 572, File 65.
Dropping girder sections, Carlaw Avenue, looking east, Photographer: Peter MacCallum, February 25, 2001, Series 572, File 88
Demolition of Leslie Street ramp viewed from north side of detour, looking south-east, Photographer: Peter MacCallum, January 20, 2001, Series 572, File 77
Last complete bent being broken at Booth Avenue, looking east, Photographer: Peter MacCallum, March 18, 2001, Series 572, File 98
Near foot of new ramp approach, looking north-west, Photographer: Peter MacCallum, March 18, 2001, Series 572, File 99
Broken bents opposite Showline Studios, Photographer: Peter MacCallum, March 18, 2001, Series 572, File 100
Demolishing pillars opposite Toronto Film Studios, looking east, Photographer: Peter MacCallum, March 25, 2001, Series 572, File 102
Pillars to be used in public art project, between Leslie Street and Carlaw Avenue, Photographer: Peter MacCallum, July 11, 2001, Series 572, File 130