How Will Construction Affect Me?

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:

• Construction on Lake Shore Boulevard East
• Bike Detour for the Lower Don Trail and Multi-Use Trail on Lake Shore Boulevard
• Subscribe to Email Construction Notices
• Managing Construction Impacts

Last updated November 25, 2024

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.

Lane Reductions approaching Lake Shore Boulevard and Carlaw Avenue Intersection: Until Early December

To facilitate rebuilding Lake Shore Boulevard, some eastbound lanes will be reduced on Lake Shore approaching Carlaw Avenue, and southbound on Carlaw Avenue, approaching Lake Shore. At least one lane will remain open in all directions. There will be no right turn from Lake Shore Boulevard eastbound to Carlaw Avenue southbound and no right turn from Lake Shore Boulevard Westbound on to Carlaw Avenue northbound. A detour will be in place via Logan Avenue and Commissioners Street.

Above: A map showing the locations of lane reductions and other traffic flow changes at Lake Shore Boulevard East and Carlaw Avenue.

What to expect starting 11 p.m., Sunday, September 15:

On Lake Shore Boulevard Eastbound:

• Traffic will be reduced to a single through lane and a left-turn lane as it approaches Carlaw Avenue
• There will be no right turn onto Carlaw Avenue. To access Carlaw Avenue south of Lake Shore, turn right on Logan Avenue, left on Commissioners Street and then left on to Carlaw Avenue
• Access to the Esso Gas Station at the southwest corner of Carlaw and Lake Shore will be maintained via the driveway on Lake Shore Boulevard East or on Carlaw Avenu

On Lake Shore Boulevard Westbound:

• No right turn on to Carlaw Avenue from Lake Shore westbound

On Carlaw Avenue:

• Carlaw Avenue Southbound approaching Lake Shore Boulevard will have lane shifts
• Southbound traffic approaching Lake Shore Boulevard will have no right-turn on red signals

Pedestrians and Cyclists:

• The sidewalk remains closed on the south side of Lake Shore Boulevard East between Carlaw Avenue and Bouchette Street. A detour is in place along Commissioners Street

All lane closures will be marked with traffic barrels or fencing.

Lane diversions on Lake Shore Boulevard East between Cherry Street and Carlaw Avenue, February 28, 2022-December 2025

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 2025

To construct permanent flood protection along Don Roadway and rebuild the road, Don Roadway is closed south of Lake Shore Boulevard until 2025.

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.

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.

See all construction notices issued for this project here.

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.