As of tonight at 7 p.m., the City of Toronto is closing Yonge Street between Front Street East and Lake Shore Boulevard to vehicle traffic to allow for emergency road work. The road closure is expected to last for at least three days as crews work to locate and address a substantial flow of ground water under the intersection of Yonge Street and The Esplanade. To accommodate the closure, the westbound Gardiner Expressway Yonge Street exit will also be closed.
The issue was identified on Saturday, May 21 by a City contractor carrying out work at the intersection of Yonge Street and The Esplanade. After further investigation and attempts to manage the ground water flow beneath the street, City staff determined excavation of the intersection requiring road closures is needed to locate the source of the water and make critical repairs.
Throughout today, dewatering efforts continue at the site and the location is being monitored by City staff. Tonight at 7 p.m. the full closure will take effect as crews work around the clock to repair the issue and have the roadway reopened as soon as possible. Both the work site and detours will be clearly marked with signage and City staff will be on site to ensure safe implementation of the closure.
The City is making every effort to ensure sidewalks along Yonge Street remain available to pedestrians. Members of the public making essential trips to the area are asked to plan ahead, choose an alternate route when possible, follow detour signs in place and be patient. People travelling to the area can use the City’s Road Restrictions map to plan essential trips and get updates about the closure.
TTC riders should consult the TTC’s Service Alerts webpage for any information on detours. GO Transit customers should check the GO Transit Service Updates webpage for any impacts to GO Bus service.
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