There Will Be So Many Toronto Road Closures Starting Tomorrow & Here Are The Streets To Avoid

The launch of a major construction project is going to wreak havoc on Toronto traffic on Tuesday. So drivers queue up your meditative Spotify playlists.

According to the city's website, crews will be shutting down sections of Adelaide Street from Bathurst Street to Parliament Street to work on water, road and cycling infrastructure, as well as restore TTC tracks in preparation for the Ontario Line.

"The project, in coordination with the TTC and Metrolinx, bundles several construction needs on Adelaide Street into one project to complete the work as quickly as possible and minimize prolonged disruption," an excerpt reads.

There's a whole list of stuff being worked on, including:

• The replacement of an over 115-year-old water main and the city-owned portion of "substandard water services" from York Street to Victoria Street.
• A revamp of the Adelaide Street roadway between Spadina Avenue and York Street.
• Upgrading streetcar tracks on Adelaide Street, from Charlotte Street to York Street.
• Relocating the cycling track on Adelaide Street, from Bathurst Street to Parliament Street, to the north side and the installation of new bike signals.
• Improving pedestrian infrastructure at several spots along Adelaide Street, from Spadina Avenue to York Street.

Okay, that all sounds fine and dandy, but the following restrictions do not:

• Localized closures on Adelaide Street from Duncan Street to Bay Street starting on Monday, October 24, 2022.
• Adelaide Street, from Duncan Street to Bay Street, will be reduced to one shared lane for vehicles and cyclists with a partial intersection closure at Simcoe Street, offering no through traffic southbound. Work could last until the end of November.
• Starting on Thursday, Adelaide Street and University Avenue intersections will be reduced to one lane in each direction until November 15, 2022.
• On Monday, November 7, Adelaide Street, from Widmer Street to Duncan Street, will be reduced to a single lane. Adelaide Street will also have a partial intersection closure at John Street and Duncan Street, with no through traffic on the south side.
• Adelaide Street, from Spadina Avenue to Widmer Street, will be reduced to one shared lane after the work on Duncan Street and York Street is complete, with partial intersection closures at Peter and Widmer Streets and no through traffic south of Adelaide Street or access to Charlotte Street from Adelaide Street.
• Lastly, Adelaide Street, from Bay Street to Victoria Street, will also be reduced to one shared lane for the water main replacement and upgrades to the cycling infrastructure.

So, when will this gauntlet of backups end? Not until spring of 2023! However, it's worth noting that some lanes could reopen during the winter to accommodate poor weather conditions.

Although, irritable motorists looking to keep their blood pressure levelled will still want to avoid Adelaide Street like the plague.

"With so much construction taking place in the downtown core, drivers are advised to plan their travel in advance, expect delays, consider taking public transit and obey signage around work zones for the safety of the work crews," the city concludes.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.