
Metrolinx is building the Ontario Line subway between Exhibition Place / Ontario Place and the area near the Ontario Science Centre, through downtown Toronto.

Metrolinx contractors continue rebuilding the structure of the Queen Street East bridge near the future Riverside / Leslieville Station, as part of the Ontario-line project. The bridge carries VIA Rail Canada and GO Transit trains over the street. Construction started Monday, June 5.
From Saturday, September 24 until Saturday, October 7, the TTC is revising its long-term detours due to ongoing construction at the bridge. It’s shortening the path so that streetcars along this route only operate to and from Woodbine Loop:
The cars also operate along Gerrard Street East, instead of Queen East, between Coxwell and Broadview avenues.
(Woodbine Loop is on the northeast corner of Queen Street East and Kingston Road.)
It’s also introducing a new shuttle-bus route to replace route 505 cars east of Kingston Road:
Destination signs for eastbound buses along this route display:
- 501D / 513 Queen East to Neville Park.
Westbound signs display:
- 501D / 513 Queen East to Church.
(With this change, the TTC operates three different shuttle-bus routes — 501B, 501D and 501D — to replace parts of the 501 Queen route.)
Then, from 1 a.m. Sunday, September 24 until 5 a.m. Monday, September 25, the City of Toronto is closing:
- Queen Street East between McGee and DeGrassi streets
to all traffic. The TTC is detouring all service that would usually operate along this part of Queen East, meaning all buses and streetcars along these routes:
- 72 Pape;
- 301 Queen overnight;
- 501D Queen shuttle buses;
- 503 Kingston Rd; and
- 505 Dundas.
From 10 p.m. Friday, September 22 until 4 a.m. Saturday, September 23 and from 5 a.m. Monday, September 25 until 10 p.m. Friday, September 29, passengers aboard all TTC vehicles operating under the bridge can expect delays.
The City will again close the street to support this project and the TTC will again detour services from 10 p.m. Friday, September 29 until 5 a.m. Monday, October 2.
Starting 10 p.m. Friday, September 22, crews use saws to cut rails to start realigning the train tracks. They then shift the tracks to the west side of the rail corridor, where they’ll install the in their new position. They can only work on the tracks while trains aren’t operating. This weekend, GO is replacing trains with buses along the 09 Lakeshore East line and not operating trains along the 71 Stouffville line south of Kennedy GO Station.
Then, from 1 a.m. Sunday, September 24 until 5 a.m. Monday, September 25, the City closes Queen between McGee and DeGrassi streets to all traffic — meaning motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.
While the street is closed and trains are temporarily not operating, contractors use excavators, saws and jackhammers to break and demolish
concrete that forms part of the bridge in areas that they can only access when the rail corridor is closed. Dump trucks haul away materials, including including concrete, steel, rebar and other debris.
By working overnight, construction crews have enough time to complete all necessary activities during the closure of Queen Street East and the GO train service on the Lakeshore East corridor. Crews can’t safely move GO tracks while trains are operating along the rail corridor
during the day.
Similarly, for public safety, Queen Street East must be closed during bridge demolition works. Crews must complete work with significant traffic impacts at night and over the weekend to minimize impacts to the travelling public and reduce the length of construction.
Metrolinx says that closing Queen Street East road on Sunday, September 24 allows crews to complete work in one week instead of two.
From Monday, September 25 until Friday, September 29, crews complete piling work from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. each day. They work to reinforce the bridge structure overnight from 8 p.m. until 4 a.m.
They use pile drill rigs to dig holes into the ground which they then fill with rebar and concrete to form temporary bridge support structures or caissons. They use welding equipment and other hand tools to build the steel beams on the bridge deck.
From 8 p.m. until 4 a.m. each night, the work zone restricts traffic on Queen Street East to one lane only, with traffic alternating in each
direction.
The work zone blocks sidewalks and traffic lanes alternately on the north and south sides of Queen Street East under the bridge as work progresses from one end of the bridge to the other. It only blocks traffic lanes and sidewalks at night. They reopen during the day after each night of work.
Traffic-control personnel or a “paid-duty” Toronto Police Service officer will be present direct traffic and pedestrians.
From 10 p.m. Friday, September 29 until 5 a.m. Monday, October 2, the City again closes the roadway. Crews use saws, jackhammers, excavators, loaders and dump trucks to demolish concrete and remove materials from the bridge.

Expect noise from construction activities, including concrete-breaking, rail-cutting, and moving equipment and materials. Clear signs will be in place to direct vehicles and pedestrians. Traffic barrels, fencing and barriers will separate and secure work zones. Crews position site lighting downward into the rail corridor and away from residential properties.