Road closures that exacerbate Toronto’s already legendary gridlock are pretty par the course for downtown commuters, but a project that is set to shut down one particular intersection for months could cause major delays not just for drivers and transitgoers, but for air travellers, too.
From mid-February until at least the end of June, crews will be conducting some much-needed state-of-good-repair work at the corner of Bathurst Street and Lake Shore Boulevard, which will inevitably necessitate some temporary closures of lanes and sidewalks.
The phased closures — which will accommodate the replacement of a more than century-old watermain, along with some sections of TTC streetcar track — will, of course, pose some headaches for drivers and lead to an overall increase of congestion in the area, especially in light of Lake Shore’s use as an alternative to the Gardiner Expressway during the highway’s revitalization.
But, the intersection is also traversed daily by those heading to Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, whether by car or by bus.
Beginning mid-February 2025, the @cityoftoronto will undertake a watermain and streetcar track construction project at the intersection of Bathurst Street and Lakeshore Boulevard West that will impact travel to and from @BBishopAirport.
Please plan accordingly and allow extra…
— Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (@BBishopAirport) February 4, 2025
The island travel hub has issued a warning to travellers about the upcoming construction, advising that it will affect the key route to and from the airport through this winter, spring and the early days of summer.
“Please plan accordingly and allow extra time when travelling to the airport,” the airport wrote Tuesday, outlining the three stages of the roadwork.
Phase 1, taking place from mid-February to mid-March, will entail the closure of Lake Shore between Stadium Road and Dan Leckie Way — two streets that will serve as alternate routes for those arriving at and leaving the airport. While one lane of Bathurst in each direction will remain open, cars won’t be able to turn onto (or from) Lake Shore, or north from Fleet Street.
Phase 2, from mid-March to mid-April, will see southbound travel along Bathurst limited between Housey Street to Lake Shore, with only one lane open in either direction on Lake Shore. No turns will be permitted through the key corner, and eastbound turns from Fleet will also still be forbidden.
Things will finally open up further in Phase 3 (mid-April to June), during which at least one travel lane should remain open in each direction on both Bathurst Street and Lake Shore Boulevard. Turns through the corner will still be prohibited.
Various sidewalk closures in the area will persist throughout all phases due to the above work, as well as public realm improvements along Fleet.
TTC service and usual traffic flow are expected to be back to normal by the end of June, including for those riding the Billy Bishop Airport Shuttle or getting driven to/from the airport’s landside pick-up and drop-off area.
