The first phase of construction on the Gardiner Expressway will wrap up two months earlier than expected after the city agreed to pay up to $2 million in order to speed up the work.

Construction on the western stretch of the highway from the CNE grounds to Grand Magazine Street was initially expected to take 16 months and be completed in July, but now the work will be done no later than May, Mayor John Tory said Thursday.

“It is going to get done faster by increasing crews and equipment resources and of course with that comes an increase in the cost of the project but I think this is a cost that the people who live in the city, who drive in the city and who do business in this city will be prepared to see us undertake,” Tory said. “It is a large amount of money, but I think most would agree that it is a relatively small price to pay to allow drivers to have reliefs two months sooner from commutes that are sometimes 30 minutes longer.”

The city estimates that the construction along the Gardiner has cost commuters about $1 million per day as a result of increased travel times due to lane closures.

Commuters will now get some relief from that burden; however the second phase of construction is still expected to begin as scheduled in September.

Speaking with reporters, Tory said he is “already asking” about how the December, 2016 completion date for the second phase can be sped up and will not hesitate to invest additional money to get it done, noting that it is part of his “hurry up strategy.”

“The people sent me here to upset the status quo when it comes to traffic and transportation because they were not satisfied with what was going on,” he said.

Tory said the $2 million in additional funding will mainly pay for an increased number of construction crews to be assigned to the Gardiner Expressway project.

The mayor also said that he expects the developer to begin doing some overnight work, noting that he has already seen temporary light poles go up near the construction site.

During his mayoral campaign, Tory spoke of a need for the city to take a "24/7" approach to road construction when it impacts major arteries.

“Every single thing we do has to be devoted to putting as many people as fast as we can, within reason, so we get things done faster,” Tory said.

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