Toronto begins to ramp-up construction projects amid low vehicle traffic

Toronto begins summer road construction There are certainly fewer cars on the road as a result of COVID-19, which city construction crews are taking advantage of.

TORONTO — The City of Toronto's summer construction season has begun, but this year drivers are finding it far less burdensome as traffic is down between 45 and 65 per cent because of COVID-19.

Earlier this month, the city announced its plans to capitalize on the lack of cars on the road to accelerate planned construction and maintenance across Toronto.

"[It’s] much easier, not so much traffic, not so many people bothering us," says Carlos Jacinto, a Toronto construction worker who is helping to replace sidewalks on Jarvis Street.

Toronto drivers are accustomed to full-on road construction beginning in spring and lasting most of the summer and the traffic that comes with it.

However, as a result of COVID-19, drivers are sailing through downtown road construction sites that have been reduced to just one lane.

"It's a great time to get it out of the way because downtown is construction all the time, get it out of the way now when nobody is driving and I love that the guys are safe," Toronto resident Shahim Khorray said.

Toronto Mayor John Tory commented on the construction at a news conference on Wednesday.

“We've accelerated to provide for longer hours or to generally speed up the work,” he said.

Tory adds that the city is also doubling up on some projects like replacing a 143-year-old water main while putting new street car tracks in at the same time at Church Street and Richmond Street.

Some of the other projects include Gardiner Expressway eastbound on-ramp at Jarvis Street, which will be fully closed for replacement until 2021.

“This construction is the second to last phase of work to rehabilitate the expressway between Jarvis and Cherry Streets,” the city said in a news release.

As well, from May 25 to the end of 2020, Bathurst Street from Fort York Boulevard to Front Street West will be fully closed as crews work to rehabilitate the Bathurst Street bridge and replace the TTC tracks.