Don Valley Parkway

The Don Valley Parkway, often referred to as the DVP, is a 15 kilometre long expressway that runs from the Gardiner Expressway in downtown Toronto to Highway 401 and is one of the City’s most vital transit arterial roads.

Approximately 135,000 (weekday average) vehicles travel daily on the Don Valley Parkway.

This map highlights the location of the four bridges of the DVP that will be rehabilitated. From north to south, the bridges are: Lawrence Avenue east bridge; Wynford Drive bridge; Spanbridge Road bridge and Don Mills Road bridge

Bridge Rehabilitation over Don Valley Parkway

This summer, work will begin to rehabilitate four bridges over the Don Valley Parkway. This includes work on:

  • Don Mills Road bridge
  • Spanbridge Road bridge
  • Wynford Drive bridge
  • Lawrence Avenue East bridge

This important work will ensure that the bridges meet today’s standards and remain safe for vehicles and pedestrians into the future. The most extensive work is required on the Don Mills Road bridge and the City has bundled the rehabilitation of three other bridges into this project to complete the work as quickly as possible during the summer months (when there are typically lower traffic volumes) and avoid occupying more lanes on the DVP in coming years.

Planned Start Date

July 2, 2019

Planned End Date

October 2019

Traffic Update – Overnight Lane Reductions on DVP

So crews can complete important work on the four bridges over the DVP and begin to remove traffic staging, there will be some overnight lane reductions:

11 p.m. Monday, September 23 to 5 a.m. Tuesday, September 24

  • Northbound right and center lanes closed from Don Mills Road to Spanbridge Road
  • At 11:59 p.m. northbound and southbound right and center lanes closed at Wynford Drive

11 p.m. Tuesday, September 24 to 5 a.m. Wednesday, September 25

  • Northbound right and center lanes closed from Don Mills Road to Spanbridge Road

Traffic Impact

Work Stages & Dates (Dates subject to change) Traffic Impact Work Hours
Stage 1
July 2 to Mid to late August		 Update – This construction stage is complete

  • On August 17, the northbound and southbound median lane will reopen at Lawrence Avenue East on-schedule
  • On August 7, Stage 1 at Don Mills Road bridge completed two weeks ahead of schedule and the lanes at Don Mills Road reopened.
  • On July 18, Stage 1 completed four weeks ahead of schedule at Spanbridge Road and Wynford Drive bridges and the lanes reopened.
 24 hours a day
7 days a week
Stage 1a
Early August – For 8 nights
(Dates subject to work progress)		 Update – This construction stage is complete

  • Two lanes of traffic from the median on the DVP northbound and southbound will be closed at Don Mills Road so crews can access and complete work on the Don Mills Road bridge.
 Overnight

12 a.m. to 5 a.m.
7 days a week
Stage 2
Mid to late August to October		 Update – Work impacting ramps is complete

  • The northbound DVP on-ramp from eastbound Lawrence Avenue East and the southbound DVP on-ramp from westbound Lawrence Avenue East is closed.
  • The southbound DVP on-ramp from northbound Don Mills Road is closed.
  • The northbound and southbound shoulders of the DVP are closed at Don Mills Road, Spanbridge Road, Wynford Drive and Lawrence Avenue East.
 24 hours a day
7 days a week
Stage 2a
Late September – For 10 nights
(Dates subject to work progress)
  • The right-hand lane, both northbound and southbound at Don Mills Road will be closed at times overnight.
  • The southbound Don Mills off-ramp will be closed.
 Overnight
Monday to Friday
10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Weekends
11 p.m. to 8 a.m.

Traffic Impact Maps – Stage 2

At Don Mills Road Bridge

  • DVP shoulders at Don Mills are closed
  • Southbound DVP on-ramp from northbound Don Mills reopened on August 30
Map detailing Stage 2 construction traffic staging at Don Mills Road Bridge. Shoulders of DVP will be closed around Don Mills Road Bridge and the southbound DVP on-ramp from northbound Don Mills Road will be closed
Click to enlarge

At Spanbridge Road Bridge

  • DVP shoulders at Spanbridge Road are closed
Map showing updated traffic impact of DVP bridge rehabilitation at Spanbridge Road Bridge. Crews completed stage 1 work ahead of schedule and all lanes have now reopened. Traffic staging is now set up on the shoulders in preparation for Stage 2 construction.
Click to enlarge

At Wynford Drive Bridge

  • DVP shoulders at Wynford Drive are closed
Map showing updated traffic impact of DVP bridge rehabilitation at Wynford Drive Bridge. Crews completed stage 1 work ahead of schedule and all lanes have now reopened. Traffic staging is now set up on the shoulders in preparation for Stage 2 construction.
Click to enlarge

At Lawrence Avenue East Bridge

  • Southbound DVP on-ramp from westbound Lawrence Avenue East reopened on September 7
  • Northbound DVP on-ramp from eastbound Lawrence Avenue East reopened on September 18
  • DVP shoulders at Lawrence Avenue East are closed
Map detailing traffic restrictions at Lawrence Avenue East and the DVP. Restrictions will close the shoulders of the DVP at Lawrence Avenue East and close the northbound DVP on-ramp from eastbound Lawrence Avenue East, and close the southbound DVP on-ramp from westbound Lawrence Avenue East
Click to enlarge

Alternate Routes

  • With Stage 2 construction at Don Mills Road bridge impacting the southbound DVP on-ramp from northbound Don Mills, drivers should consider using the Eglinton on-ramp to the north or the Bayview/Bloor on-ramp to the south
  • With Stage 2 construction at Lawrence Avenue East bridge impacting the northbound DVP on-ramp from eastbound Lawrence Avenue East and the southbound DVP on-ramp from westbound Lawrence Avenue East, drivers should consider using the Eglinton on-ramp to the south or the York Mills on-ramp to the north
  • The public are also encouraged to plan their travel in advance and also consider taking public transit
Construction Notices

Bridge Rehabilitation over the Don Valley Parkway on:

Don Mills Road bridge

Spanbridge Road bridge

Wynford Drive bridge

Lawrence Avenue East bridge

The City performs regular spring or fall maintenance every couple of years on the Don Valley Parkway. This maintenance typically involves highly coordinated work across multiple City of Toronto divisions, agencies and stakeholders and includes a full or partial closure of the expressway over one weekend. The maintenance and improvements performed keep the expressway in the best state of good repair.

The most recent maintenance closure took place in the summer of 2020 from Friday, August 14 at 11 p.m. until to Monday, August 17. Work had originally been planned for 54 hours but crews worked ahead of schedule and were able to re-open the expressway six hours early – by 11 p.m. on Sunday night.

It is estimated that the work completed during the weekend closure was the equivalent to about 30 overnight lane closures.

Here is a summary of the work completed (all numbers are approximate):

  • 10 lane km of milling and paving
  • 80.5 tonnes of asphalt used to repair major cracks
  • 7,991 metres of minor cracks sealed
  • 589 catch basins cleaned and flushed
  • 3,479 metres of lines painted
  • 55 loads (117 tonnes) of debris swept and removed
  • 8 tonnes of litter/debris removed
  • 4 tonnes of logs removed
  • 13 tonnes of wood chipped and removed
  • 990 sq. metres of graffiti removed
  • 1.1 km of new guiderail
  • 362 ground-mounted signs inspected and repaired
  • 66 overhead signs inspected
  • 1 variable message sign repaired
  • 727 sq. metres of ditch construction (ditching)
  • 54 culverts inspected
  • 10 bridges chipped
  • 18 bridges inspected
  • 300 metres of Don River seawall inspected
  • 90 vehicle detection stations tested and inspected
  • 19 traffic “loop” detectors installed
  • 7 CRASH systems repaired or installed
  • 2 gates repaired
  • 14 RESCU cameras repaired or maintained
  • 1 RWIS Road Sensor repaired
  • 36 RESCU cabinets maintained
  • 67 roadway lights (lamps) replaced
  • 1 high-mast cable replaced
  • 1 new 40-foot hydro pole installed
  • 2 catch basins replaced and adjusted
  • Sound barrier walls replaced

View the 2018 DVP maintenance Video.

  • Completed in 1966, the Don Valley Parkway is a 15 km long expressway that runs from the Gardiner Expressway in downtown Toronto to Highway 401
  • The Parkway is a vital transit artery in Toronto’s travel network as it is the sole expressway connecting the north and south ends of the city
  • The Don Valley Parkway, often referred to as the DVP, runs east of the Don River through Toronto’s vibrant Don River Valley parklands
  • In its 15 km length, the DVP is primarily six lanes with 12 exits
  • The DVP north of highway 401 continues as highway 404
  • Traffic often exceeds its original design of 60,000 vehicles per day
  • The parkway has designated bus lanes to allow passing during slow traffic
  • On June 7, 2010, a section of the expressway was dedicated by former Toronto mayor David Miller as part of the Route of Heroes