It is going to be a hard weekend to get around the city for both drivers and public transit users alike.
There will be a full closure of the Don Valley Parkway for annual maintenance work all weekend after last weekend’s scheduled closure was delayed due to freezing rain that pelted the city.
Complicating things further, service will also be suspended between St. Clair West and Union stations on Line 1 due to planned signal work.
The DVP closure is scheduled to begin at 11 p.m. on Friday and last until 5 a.m. on Monday while the subway closure is limited to Saturday and Sunday.
In a news release issued earlier this week, the city said that this weekend presented the best opportunity to close the DVP for several months due to the absence of any major planned events.
The release noted that the closure is necessary to ensure that the highway “is in the best state-of-good repair to mitigate flooding from spring and summer rains” and to ensure that it is ready for the “increased traffic levels” that are expected during the coming months.
Some of the work that will be completed during the closure includes the resurfacing of the roadway, the cleaning of 650 catch basins, the inspection and repair of 30 overhead signs and the repair of about 120 metres of damaged guardrail.
The city says that people are encouraged to use public transit “wherever possible,” though the suspension of service along part of Line 1 may make that less of an option for some.
For those still choosing to drive, the city says that Don Mills Road, Bayview Avenue, Victoria Park Avenue and Kingston Road can be used as alternate routes.
