We want to keep you aware of the extensive work underway in this area and share any information that might be useful. Check here for updates on construction, road closures and traffic delays. We will also share the latest information on our construction process, how we plan to protect the environment and how construction may impact your community.

Construction Notices

Find the latest information about what to expect from ongoing construction. Download the latest construction notice below or view all notices in the Document Library.

Construction Notices

Work on the Port Lands Flood Protection and Lake Shore Boulevard East projects has impacts on Lake Shore Boulevard, Gardiner Expressway, Cherry and Commissioners Streets, cycling facilities on Lake Shore Boulevard East and the Lower Don Trail. Below are up-to-date details on closures and detours.

For recent or upcoming public meetings about construction, click here.

To read FAQs about the Lake Shore Boulevard East Project, click here. For an overview of the Port Lands Flood Protection project, click here.

Jump to:

 

Last updated March 13, 2024

Commissioners Street and New Alignment of Cherry Street: Opening January 24, 2024

To advance our work on flood protection, we are opening the new alignment of Cherry Street and Commissioners Street. Some portions of existing Cherry Street and Villiers Street will be closed.

Above: a map showing the status of all roads in the Port Lands as of January 24, including New Cherry Street and Commissioners Street.

New Cherry Street

The new alignment of Cherry Street will create a simpler crossing of Lake Shore Boulevard and has a fully separated multi-use trail and sidewalk. Businesses on the old alignment of Cherry Street between Villiers Street and Commissioners Street, as well as businesses on Villiers Street, will still be accessible.

What to expect:

  • The new alignment of Cherry Street will be open between Lake Shore Boulevard and Commissioners Street. This section of road will be called “New Cherry Street” for now.
  • The old alignment of Cherry Street, between Villiers Street and Commissioners Street will remain open. For now, it will continue to be called Cherry Street.
  • The old alignment of Cherry Street, between Lake Shore Boulevard and Villiers Street will be permanently closed and the old bridge over the Keating Channel will be removed.
  • Traffic signals at the intersection of Lake Shore Boulevard and the old alignment of Cherry Street will be turned off.

Map outlining segments of Cherry Street

Above: a map outlining the names of the segments of Cherry Street and New Cherry Street and showing access to the remaining section of Villiers Street.

Commissioners Street

Commissioners Street has been rebuilt between Cherry and Saulter Street with new bike lanes on either side and a new bridge over the new river valley.

What to expect:

  • Commissioners Street will reopen between Cherry Street and Saulter Street, connecting to the new extension of Commissioners Street west of Cherry Street and the existing roadway east of Saulter Street.
  • Once Commissioners Street is open, Villiers Street will close east of Munition Street.
  • Businesses on Villiers Street between Cherry Street and Munition Street will still be accessible by all modes of transportation. See below for more details.

 

For more details, see Construction Notice #46

 

Construction on Lake Shore Boulevard East

Now that the Gardiner-Logan ramps are removed, the easternmost access point to and from the Gardiner Expressway is at Jarvis Street. The realigned Gardiner and new ramps east of Cherry Street are in design now as part of the City of Toronto’s plans to reconfigure the Gardiner Expressway. Construction on the new ramps is tentatively scheduled to start in 2026. The City of Toronto will share more information regarding ramp realignment and construction starting after the completion of this project as it becomes available.

You can find updates on the City’s Gardiner East project here.

No Access Between Morse Street and Lake Shore Boulevard East: March 15-17

Between March 15 at 10p.m. and March 17 at 11p.m., the intersection of Lake Shore Boulevard and Morse Street will be closed. During this work, access to Morse Street will be via the laneways that connect to Carlaw Avenue and Logan Avenue.

This closure is needed because workers will be installing underground utilities.

Map showing access to Morse Street

Above: a map showing the location of the Morse Street and Lake Shore Boulevard closure, as well as the laneways that can be used to access Morse Street.

No Access Between Booth Avenue and Lake Shore Boulevard East: March 18-25

Between March 18-25 the intersection of Booth Avenue with Lake Shore Boulevard is planned to be closed. There will be no access to Booth Avenue from Lake Shore Boulevard and no access to Lake Shore Boulevard from Booth Avenue during the closure. Access to Booth Avenue will be via Eastern Avenue.

Lane diversions on Lake Shore Boulevard East between Cherry Street and Carlaw Avenue, February 28, 2022-December 2024

In December 2023, we opened the new half of the Lake Shore Bridge over the Don River. Now we can start construction on the north side of the road, including new walking and cycling facilities, and replace the other half of the bridge. Traffic on Lake Shore Boulevard has now been moved to the south side of the road and on to the new half of the bridge. The lane configuration continues to be two lanes eastbound and one lane westbound between Don Roadway and Cherry Street.

 

Full closure of Don Roadway south of Lake Shore Boulevard: Until 2024

To construct permanent flood protection along Don Roadway and rebuild the road, Don Roadway is closed south of Lake Shore Boulevard until 2024.

Recommended routes to and from the Port Lands and Don Valley Parkway are described in Construction Notice #26.

 

Lower Don Trail South of Corktown Common Closed

The Lower Don Trail is now closed between Corktown Common and Cherry Street. This closure is in addition to the temporary closure of the multi-use trail on Lake Shore Boulevard between Don Roadway and Logan Avenue and the permanent closure of the cycling/pedestrian bridge over the Don River.

A detour route is in place along Mill Street, New Cherry Street, Commissioners Street and Carlaw Avenue. See map below.

Map showing cycling routes in the Port Lands

Above: A map showing the cycling detour routes around the closure of the Lower Don Trail between Corktown Common and Cherry Street and the closure of the multi-use trail along Lake Shore Boulevard between Don Roadway and Logan Avenue. 

What to expect:

  • The multi-use trails in this area will be closed until 2025
  • The intersection of Cherry Street and Lake Shore Boulevard is being reworked to simplify movements east and west for cyclists. Until that work is complete, the crossing will continue to follow the existing configuration.

 

For specific directions on how to get around the closure of the trail south of Corktown Common, read Construction Notice #29.

For directions on how to get east or west across the Don River, read Construction Notice #28.

See all construction notices issued for this project here.

Sign Up

Sign Up for Construction Notices: Port Lands Flood Protection & Lake Shore Boulevard East Projects

* indicates required




Minimizing Construction Impacts

Port Lands Flood Protection is a seven-year construction project – and one of the largest infrastructure projects in Toronto’s history.  

During the Don Mouth Naturalization and Port Lands Flood Protection Environmental Assessment, the project team identified potential impacts from this construction and developed a series of plans to manage these impacts. Following these Environmental Management Plans will allow us to minimize impacts to the environment during and after construction. These plans may be modified to reflect new information or challenges encountered on the construction site.  

To make the details of these plans easier to find and understand, we’ve summarized each plan. Those summaries are available here: 

Air Quality and Noise Monitoring Plan 

Groundwater Management Plan

Odour Management Plan

Soil Management Plan

Surface Water Management Plan

We recognize the challenges and inconveniences construction presents to local communities. While some construction projects cannot be changed or delayed, we minimize impacts as best we can.

Here are some of the ways we’re reducing construction impacts for the Lake Shore Boulevard East project:

• Coordinating with the City of Toronto and outside agencies such as Metrolinx and Toronto Hydro to identify their construction needs and avoid overlapping road closures
• Changes to lane configuration and traffic signal timing to keep traffic moving
• Reconstruction at certain intersections and ramps to the Gardiner Expressway to improve the flow of traffic during construction

Do you have a concern, complaint or question about construction? Click here to submit your inquiry to the project team.

Construction Schedule

Construction on the Port Lands Flood Protection project started in 2017 and will be done in 2024. See what’s coming up over the next few months. We’ll continue to adjust our construction sequencing and timing to account for factors like nearby construction and coordination with our partners. Find out more about what we’re building.

Construction on the Lake Shore Boulevard East project started August 31, 2021. Construction will be complete in 2024.

Construction Liaison Committee (CLC)

The Port Lands Flood Protection Construction Liaison Committee (CLC) is made up of local residents and businesses. Members meet regularly with the project team to discuss construction activities and updates. The committee is tasked with bringing forward questions, concerns and feedback from the communities they represent. They work closely with the project team and construction manager, EllisDon, to ensure surrounding communities are aware of upcoming construction and help the project team manage any potential construction impacts.

Interested in getting involved? Email us.

image of a truck and construction equipment on the quay

Protecting the Environment

How we will undo the negative effects of industrial activities while protecting the lake and river.

Read more

Soil Management and Treatment

How we'll clean the soil that is excavated in the Port Lands.

Read more

How We're Digging a New River in the Port Lands

Learn how a new path for the Don River will let the water move more naturally, giving floodwaters a safe path into Lake Ontario.

Read More

Meet Rocky

Rocky is a rock ripping bucket. On this project, he’ll dig as deep as three metres in to bedrock to create slurry walls along the edges of the future river valley.

Meet Rocky

Found Objects in the Port Lands

We’re excavating 1.4 million cubic metres of soil. In the process, we’re uncovering some remnants of the area’s past.

read more
Looking west over cherry street lakefilling