Update — Friday, June 25, 4:23 p.m.: The City has announced that, “all lanes on Bay Street, between Dundas Street West and Gerrard Street West, as well as Elm Street between Elizabeth Street and Yonge Street, have reopened. On May 14, a clay pipe sewer, which dates to 1878, partially collapsed under Bay Street at Elm Street. Older clay sewer pipes still exist in many cities around the world and have a very long lifespan. City crews closed the roadway to make the area safe for emergency underground repairs. Crews have been working around the clock to repair the sewer and have the roadway reinstated as quickly as possible. The repairs took several weeks due in part to the extensive network of underground utility infrastructure, such as water-cooling energy systems, gas, hydro and telecommunications lines, that workers had to navigate. Crews had difficulty accessing the repair site due to high water and debris. They also needed to tunnel under the roadway, about 15 metres, to help create additional access points under the roadway to bring repair materials to the site.” TTC buses have resumed regular service.

Update — Tuesday, May 25, 10:41 p.m.: The City has announced that the damage to the sewer is more extensive than it originally estimated. Emergency sewer repairs and the resulting TTC detours continue “for approximately one month” (from the start of the repair project), meaning as late as until June 7.

Update — Tuesday, May 18, 3:32 p.m.: Emergency sewer repairs and the resulting TTC detours continue until May 26.

Starting 7 p.m., Friday, May 14, the City of Toronto is closing:

• Bay Street between Gerrard and Dundas Streets West and
• Elm Street between Elizabeth and Yonge Streets,

to accommodate Toronto Water crews, who are repairing a sewer. The clay-pipe sewer, which dates to 1878, has suddenly collapsed.

The TTC is detouring buses along this route, while the street is closed:

• 6 Bay.

This section of Bay Street is also the temporary path for streetcars along the 306 Carlton overnight and 506 Carlton routes. Starting May 14, the TTC is also further detouring the cars off of Bay.

(Updated — Tuesday, May 18, 3:32 p.m.) (Updated — Tuesday, May 25, 10:41 p.m.) (Updated — Friday, June 25, 4:23 p.m.) Emergency sewer repairs on Bay Street and the resulting TTC detours continue until May 19 until May 26 until June 7 until June 25.

(Updated — Tuesday, May 25, 10:41 p.m.) In a news release, the City explains:

“Crews will continue to work around-the-clock to repair the sewer and have the roadway reinstated as soon as possible.

“The repair is particularly challenging due in part to the extensive network of underground utility infrastructure that must be carefully navigated (such as water cooling energy systems, gas, hydro and telecommunications lines), difficulty in accessing the damaged site due to high water and debris, and the need for about 15 metres of tunneling to help create additional access points under the roadway to bring repair materials to the site.”