Gardiner rush hour travel times up 250%

Study quantifies delays drivers have felt since March lane closures

- RAJU MUDHAR

Travel times on the Gardiner Expressway have increased an estimated 250 per cent during the morning rush hour since construction closed lanes in both directions, a study has found.

The newly released analysis by Oakville-based company Geotab puts numbers to the experience that drivers in and around Toronto have been living for months.

Geotab is a company that tracks commercial vehicles, using AI and data to help companies better manage their fleets. The company tracks more than four million vehicles around the globe.

For this study, Geotab tracked more than 10,000 commercial vehicles that travelled on the Gardiner for almost two months prior to the beginning of the lane closures on March 25 and two months into it.

Upgrades to the 60-year-old Gardiner Expressway, and the structures beneath it, are underway to replace 700 feet of elevated bridge surface and make other improvements such as new street lights and a new traffic-management system. Most of the work is currently taking place between Dufferin Street and Strachan Avenue. It is slated to last until 2027.

The impact of the two lane closures has been keenly felt by drivers, with many complaining of much longer commutes. Trying to speed up the construction and maintenance work has become an issue at city hall.