Update — August 12, 8:22 p.m.: Dave reported back that the buses actually did resume service today.
Update — August 12, 1:32 p.m.: …or maybe not. Transit Toronto reader David Fisher points out that construction is definitely not finished along Bathurst Street and wonders whether southbound buses will even be able operate along the street tomorrow. If buses do operate in both directions, they’ll probably both be using the southbound lanes because, Dave reports, the northbound lanes aren’t yet ready for traffic. We’ll see what happens tomorrow!
The multiple City of Toronto, TTC and Canadian Pacific Railway projects that have bedevilled transit passengers travelling along Bathurst Street between St. Clair Avenue West and Bloor Street West since March, 2008 finally end tomorrow, Wednesday, August 12.
Starting this Thursday, August 13, TTC buses operating along the 7 Bathurst and 310 Bathurst overnight routes resume their regular southbound service between Davenport Road and Dupont Street. (The buses have operated along their regular northbound routes since January.)
Reopening Bathurst Street at the railway overpass also means that the TTC can return the streetcars that it operates along the 512 St. Clair route to their usual home base at the Roncesvalles Carhouse. The construction had cut off the St. Clair tracks from the rest of the track network, so the TTC has temporarily stored its cars for the 512 St. Clair route at the Hillcrest Shops on Bathurst Street, south of Davenport Road, since March, 2008.
(Reconnecting the St. Clair tracks to the Roncesvalles Carhouse also prepares the way for the TTC to resume full streetcar service along parts of St. Clair Avenue West — probably as far west as Earlscourt Loop at Lansdowne Avenue — later this year.)
During the past 18 months, the City, TTC and CP Rail have:
- installed watermains;
- rebuilt the railway bridge north of Dupont Street,
- lowered the road base beneath the railway bridge;
- rebuilt the streetcar tracks; and
- rebuilt the roadway.
The projects have affected transit service since March 30, 2008, with construction starting on May 20, 2008.
The projects have resulted in various detours and service changes for the Bathurst bus routes on May 23, June 2, July 2, July 18, July 25 and August 30, 2008 and January 26 and June 21, 2009.
You can learn more about the project here and here.
You can read a history of streetcar service along Bathurst Street by James Bow here.
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