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Roads: Gardiner Expressway catch-all, incl. Hybrid Design (2015-onwards)

DSC said:
Coming to General Govt Committee next week: https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.GG7.13

The purpose of this report is to advise of the results of Request for Proposals RFP-22ECS-BE-01GE, Contract Number 22ECS-BE-01GE for the rehabilitation of the F.G. Gardiner Expressway between Dufferin Street and Strachan Avenue ("Gardiner Section 2") and request the authority to enter into an agreement with Grascan Construction Limited in the amount of $260,250,000 net of all taxes and charges ($264,830,400 net of Harmonized Sales Tax recoveries). An additional $40,000,000 net of all taxes and charges ($40,704,000 net of Harmonized Sales Tax recoveries) will be available to the Chief Engineer and Executive Director, Engineering and Construction Services for the Project as may be required.

The F.G. Gardiner Expressway has been in service for over 60 years and with the effects of weathering, salt, and increasing traffic loads, is approaching the end of its original design life. To address this state-of-good-repair challenge, a Strategic Rehabilitation Plan, consisting of six complex projects, was adopted by City Council in December 2016. Section 1 construction work was completed in 2021.

The subject of this report is the selection of the contractor for Section 2, to rehabilitate the elevated section of the Expressway between Dufferin Street and Strachan Avenue. There is an urgent need to award this contract because this section is in poor condition and at the end of its design life.

The scope of work for Gardiner Section 2 involves replacing 700 metres of concrete deck and girders, rehabilitating the associated substructure, and installing new street lighting. Construction is planned to commence in late 2023 and is anticipated to be completed by mid-2027.

There are a number of complexities to this project as this is both an elevated and very narrow section of the Expressway that is expected to manage a high volume of traffic. This will necessitate a significant amount of work being done from the underneath of the roadway. It also severely limits the construction staging and work zone areas.

There are also significant complexities in relation to the need to tightly align and closely coordinate with Metrolinx Ontario Line construction at Exhibition Station along with plans for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Soccer Tournament. For example, construction on the deck will pause from May 1 to July 31, 2026, in order to allow three lanes of traffic open in each direction to accommodate tournament traffic. Pausing a project of this magnitude and safely reopening all traffic lanes is a substantial endeavour and it will be critical to reach a certain stage of the project on time to ensure this pause can be provided.

Given the number of complexities associated with this project, several risk mitigation measures have been built in. These include processes such as the use of a Design-Build project delivery method and a two-stage procurement strategy that included consideration of the proponent's traffic and construction management strategies. Risk management is also integrated into the recommended contract, with features such as an indexing regime to manage price fluctuations for certain commodities, the use of a Third-Party Quality Assurance Firm, a full-time, onsite Technical Advisor, as well as a neutral “Referee" to address any disputes that cannot be resolved by the Project Steering Committee.
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Pause for 3 months for how many soccer games? I went to 2 World Cup games in Boston and New York in 1994. I can’t image the crowds will be noticeable in Toronto for such a small stadium. Is Canada guaranteed to play in Toronto? How much money are a few games costing us? My condo is for sale if anyone wants to buy it and avoid traffic. :).
 
mburrrrr said:
Pause for 3 months for how many soccer games? I went to 2 World Cup games in Boston and New York in 1994. I can’t image the crowds will be noticeable in Toronto for such a small stadium. Is Canada guaranteed to play in Toronto? How much money are a few games costing us? My condo is for sale if anyone wants to buy it and avoid traffic. :).
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Agreed! Will the cost of this 3- month pause be part of the City's financial contribution to this extravaganza?
 
mburrrrr said:
Pause for 3 months for how many soccer games? I went to 2 World Cup games in Boston and New York in 1994. I can’t image the crowds will be noticeable in Toronto for such a small stadium. Is Canada guaranteed to play in Toronto? How much money are a few games costing us? My condo is for sale if anyone wants to buy it and avoid traffic. :).
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Are you moving? No leaving town on us!
 
mburrrrr said:
Pause for 3 months for how many soccer games? I went to 2 World Cup games in Boston and New York in 1994. I can’t image the crowds will be noticeable in Toronto for such a small stadium. Is Canada guaranteed to play in Toronto? How much money are a few games costing us? My condo is for sale if anyone wants to buy it and avoid traffic. :).
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There are 64 games and 16 venues, with some late knockout stage venues preselected. Some sources say 5+ games will be in Toronto but seems unlikely they’d overload on the smallest stadium. Only understandable if they’re balancing numbers across Mexico/USA/Canada. Games here won’t be spread across more than a month so I’m confused about the multi month shut down of construction.

CTV news:
Net revenue generated by the games, of which at least five are expected to be hosted in Toronto, will be split between MLSE and the city to a maximum of $10 million, according to the document. Any money made on top of that will be split 60/40 to the city’s benefit.
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The temporary expansion of BMO field to 45’000 seats is expected to cost around $25 million. Making it a temporary expansion was the right choice for sure since this venue won’t see a huge influx in popularity after the World Cup. The cost to get our spot as hosts I’m not so sure about.

The revenues directly and indirectly from the event will more than likely outweigh the costs.
 
mburrrrr said:
Sorry, moving west 50-100km but only if someone will buy our condo. 60 days on the market now but we are in no rush obviously. I think this should be in the “Baby, we got a bubble” thread.
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Toronto will be the lesser for your absence; and that of your walking companion as well.

Best wishes, wherever life takes you next!
 
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evandyk said:
Make all the roads into bus and bike lanes and the problem is solved :) Deliveries and accessible taxis excepted.
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Someone is going to have to cough up to actually make the bus service useful, though.

40 minutes by car from my house to downtown vs. 1 hr 47 minutes by transit as of this writing. The value proposition is dubious, at best.
 
allengeorge said:
www.thestar.com

Doug Ford government open to taking over Gardiner, DVP to help fix Toronto’s finances, sources say

Ontario has signalled during talks within a new city-provincial working group that it’s open to uploading the costly highways, say sources.
www.thestar.com www.thestar.com

Personally, I would be more interested in the other options floated: the province taking a share of transit funding or homelessness funding.
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An obvious result here is any east Gardiner tear down plan, or realignment to a surface boulevard is dead on the spot, at least under the current government, though I doubt the Liberals would go for it either if they get back in power.
 
Jonny5 said:
An obvious result here is any east Gardiner tear down plan, or realignment to a surface boulevard is dead on the spot, at least under the current government, though I doubt the Liberals would go for it either if they get back in power.
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It does get rid of that political problem for Olivia Chow as well…
 
They should be transferring things to the provincial government that are more clearly not a city mandate. Housing seems obviously tied to welfare and income which is not city. Transit you might argue should be seen from a more regional context the more rapid the transit mode. The Gardner they are planning on rebuilding north of Keating Channel which will lead to the highway being slower for the benefit of the local environment... if the highway belongs to the province and is seen as a regional / provincial thoroughfare then we might not like what happens next considering 413 and Bradford Bypass. Why wouldn't the province work to increase its capacity because as a province owned asset the use case of Mississauga to Pickering is an equally valid one despite it not serving Toronto's interests.
 
Jonny5 said:
An obvious result here is any east Gardiner tear down plan, or realignment to a surface boulevard is dead on the spot, at least under the current government, though I doubt the Liberals would go for it either if they get back in power.
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The DVP and Gardiner should have always been provincial assets. They have always served a provincial function, and hell, half of the Gardiner was a provincial road until the late 1990's.

What this will do however is open the highways up for "upgrades" which the City likely wouldn't have undertaken. Whether that be upgrades to interchanges (many DVP interchanges are woefully substandard), or even full on widening (an extension of the 404's HOVs down the DVP, anyone?).

Dealing with MTO permits for developments along the Gardiner downtown will also be fun.

The DVP and Gardiner should be provincial responsibilities - but so should things like the shelter system, which is unfairly focused in a handful of municipalities in the province which have to shoulder massive costs from it.
 
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