City council is being asked to decide whether to tear down the east-end stretch of the Gardiner Expressway completely or consider a more costly hybrid option that would cut down on travel times.
In a draft report on the future of the Gardiner released Wednesday, city staff recommended those two scenarios as the options council should consider when deciding the fate of the aging Toronto highway.
According to the report, the long-term cost to tear down a 1.7-kilometre elevated stretch of the Gardiner east of Jarvis Street is $461 million. The hybrid option would carry a price tag of $919 million when the long-term construction and maintenance costs are considered.
The hybrid option however would create less traffic headaches as it would maintain a link between the Gardiner and the Don Valley Parkway.
The report suggests that the removal option would mean certain trips would likely take two to three minutes longer than the hybrid option.
City council’s Public Works and Infrastructure Committee will discuss the report at the next meeting on May 13.
The issue is expected to go to council for debate in June.
