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Spadina / Dundas construction (phase 2):
TTC detours, July 28 to August 10



Update — Friday, August 8, 4:36 p.m.: Phase 2 construction continues until August 11, instead of ending August 10, as the City and TTC previously announced. Phase 3 construction starts Tuesday, August 12.


From Monday, July 14 until Saturday, August 30, the City of Toronto and the TTC are carrying out major construction work at the intersection of Spadina Avenue and Dundas Street West.

The City and TTC intend the project to bring the water-main and streetcar-track infrastructure and nearby roads and sidewalks to a state of good repair.

As with all construction projects, expect noise, dust and other temporary inconveniences.

The City will impose parking, traffic and some pedestrian restrictions in and around the work area during the six-week project by:

  • partially closing the intersection: Construction will reduce traffic to just one lane in all directions, restricting some turns for three to four weeks.
  • fully closing the intersection: Construction will prevent any vehicles from passing through the intersection for two to three weeks.
  • reducing parking: Construction will block motorists from parking in the active work zone and the City may temporarily ban on-street parking in the neighbouring area.

The City and TTC have scheduled three phases for the project.

Phase 1 is already underway, from Monday, July 14 until Sunday, July 27:

  • The City is partially closing the intersection, maintaining one lane in each direction.
  • The TTC is detouring streetcars operating along the 505 Dundas route away from the intersection.
  • The TTC is replacing streetcars operating along the 510 Spadina route with buses, but the buses operate through the intersection.

Phase 2 starts next week, from Monday, July 28 until Sunday, August 10:

  • The City is fully closing the intersection to traffic in all directions.
  • The TTC is continuing to detour streetcars operating along the 505 Dundas route away from the intersection.
  • The TTC continues to operate buses along the 510 Spadina route, but splits the route into two.

510wm140714-2phase.gif

Stage 3 takes place from Monday, August 11 until Saturday, August 30:

  • The City is again only partially closing the intersection, maintaining one lane in each direction.
  • TTC streetcars operating along the 505 Dundas route resume regular service through the intersection.
  • The TTC continues to operate buses along the 510 Spadina route, but the buses resume regular service through the intersection. (A future Transit Toronto post will detail information on TTC detours during this phase of the project.)

Starting Sunday, August 31, the TTC plans to restore streetcar service to the 510 Spadina route between Spadina Station and Queens Quay West — and provide service entirely with its new low-floor streetcars!

Streetcar service along the entire route, including along Queens Quay West and through the tunnel to Union Station, resumes Sunday, October 12, the TTC says.


Work typically takes place Mondays to Fridays from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m. and from 9 a.m. until 11 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. However, to meet project timelines and to ensure that streetcar service resumes as soon as possible, TTC crews may work late evenings and overnight at the end of the project as they install new rails.

TTC workers will bring rail panels on flatbed trucks and other equipment and material onto the work site and temporarily store them until they’re ready start installing the rails. They’ll then move the rails into position, then install, weld and grind the rails. They’ll install the rails overnight to support daytime construction and complete the project as quickly as possible.

While buses operate, TTC crews will also retrofit the streetcar platform at Spadina Station to accommodate the new streetcars.


The TTC has produced a video with its Chief Executive Officer Andy Byford and Executive Director of Corporate Communications Brad Ross to explain what’s going on at Spadina and Dundas.


From the Transit Toronto archives, read:

  • a history of the 505 Dundas streetcar route, by James Bow, here.
  • a history of the 510 Spadina streetcar route, by James Bow, here.
  • a history of the 77 Spadina bus route (1948 - 1997) by Jeffrey Kay and Peter Coulman, here.

505 Dundas

From Monday, July 14 until Sunday, August 11, eastbound cars operate along their regular route to Dundas Street West and Bathurst Street, then detour:

northward along Bathurst;
eastward along College Street; and then
southward along McCaul Street to Dundas West,
resuming their regular route eastward along Dundas.

Eastbound cars skip their regular stops

  • on Dundas Street West at Denison and Spadina Avenues and Huron, Beverley and McCaul Streets.

Instead, eastbound cars drop off or pick up passengers at temporary stops

  • on Bathurst Street at Nassau and College Streets and
  • on College Street at Borden Street, Augusta and Spadina Avenues and Beverley and McCaul Streets.

Westbound cars reverse the eastbound detour routing.

Westbound cars skip their regular stops

  • on Dundas Street West at Beverley and Huron Streets, Spadina and Denison Avenues and Bathurst Street.

Instead, westbound cars drop off or pick up passengers at temporary stops

  • on College Street at St. George Street, Spadina Avenue and Major, Borden and Bathurst Streets and
  • on Bathurst Street across from Nassau Street and at Dundas Street West.
510 Spadina

From Monday, July 28 until Sunday, August 10, buses replace streetcars along the route between Spadina Station and Queens Quay West. The TTC also splits the route in two. Passengers intending to travel north and south along Spadina Avenue through the intersection of Dundas Street West must exit one bus, then walk two blocks along Spadina to board a second bus to continue their trips.

Southbound buses operating along the northern half of the route start their trips in the Spadina Station bus terminal, then proceed:

southward along Spadina Road, Spadina Avenue, Spadina Crescent and Spadina Avenue:
eastward along College Street; and then
westward along Baldwin Street to Spadina Avenue ending their trips.

Northbound buses operating along the northern half of the route start their trips on Baldwin Street east of Spadina Avenue, then proceed:

northward along Spadina Avenue, Spadina Crescent, Spadina Avenue and Spadina Road; and then
eastward into the Spadina Station bus terminal,
ending their trips.

Passengers heading further south along Spadina Avenue must walk along Spadina to Sullivan Street to board another bus.

Southbound buses operating along the southern half of the route start their trips on Spadina Avenue south of Baldwin Street, then proceed:

southward along Spadina and Lower Spadina Avenues to Queens Quay West,
ending their trips.

Northbound buses start their trips on Lower Spadina Avenue at Queens Quay West, then proceed:

westward along Queens Quay West;
northward along Dan Leckie Way;
eastward along Fort York Boulevard;
northward along Lower Spadina and Spadina Avenues to Sullivan Street,
ending their trips.

(Buses use the U-turn lane at Sullivan Street to turn around.)

Buses drop off or pick up passengers at stops beside the curb and not the centre-road “island” streetcar stops north of King Street West. They serve the centre-road streetcar stops south of King West.

Buses start and end their trips in the bus terminal at Spadina Station and not the streetcar terminal. (Buses operating along the 127 Davenport route also start and end their trips in the same terminal.)