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Queen Street West track and water-main construction: Phase 2A starts August 23; TTC detouring buses



Update — Thursday, January 6, 2022, 10:44 p.m.: Starting tonight, Thursday, January 6, construction between Fennings and Shaw Streets has ended and buses have resumed their regular route along Queen Street West. Buses continue to replace streetcars due to ongoing construction at the intersection of Queen Street West / King Street West / The Queensway / Roncesvalles Avenue.


UpdateNew Year’s Day, Saturday, January 1, 2022, 7:06 p.m.: Starting Sunday, January 2, the TTC is extending the long-term detour for streetcars along the 501 Queen route due to building construction on Charlotte Street. Cars continue to operate along King Streets East and West east of Parliament Street, but operate further westward to Bathurst Street.


Update — Monday, December 13, 7:51 a.m.: Phase 5A ends, phases 7 and 8 continue, Monday, December 13. The TTC is revising detours, starting Tuesday, December 14.


Update — Monday, November 29, 7:32 p.m.: Phase 5 construction ends 5 a.m. Wednesday, December 1. Phase 5A and 6 construction continues. The TTC is revising the detour routing.


Update — Thursday, November 18, 9:13 a.m.: Phase 6 construction — between Bathurst and Niagara Streets — and the resulting TTC detours start Thursday, November 15.


Update — Sunday, November 14, 4:52 p.m.: Phase 5A construction — at the rail junction of Queen Street West and Shaw Street — and the resulting TTC detours start Monday, November 15.


Update — Friday, October 29, 12:24 p.m.: Phase 5 construction — between Spadina Avenue and Bathurst Street — and the resulting TTC detour start Monday, November 1. Phases 5, 5A, 6 and 7 are still upcoming.


Update — Thursday, October 7, 8:31 a.m.: Phase 4 construction — between Duncan Street and Spadina Avenue — and the resulting TTC detour start “the week of” Monday, October 11.


Update — Sunday, October 4, 9:04 a.m.: Starting Thanksgiving, Monday, October 11, the TTC has been operating buses, instead of streetcars, along the entire 301 Queen overnight route.


Update — Saturday, September 25, 7:25 a.m.: Phase 3 construction — between east of Simcoe Street and Duncan Street— and the resulting TTC detour start Monday, September 27.


Queen West - map of phases 1 to 3 work.jpg

Starting 5 a.m. Monday, August 23, the City of Toronto is closing:

  • Queen Street West between west of University Avenue and Simcoe Street

to accommodate Phase 2A of a major project to upgrade infrastructure on Queen West between Fennings and Bay Streets.

During this phase, crews are replacing:

  • the top the layer of TTC track;
  • the 100-year-old water main; and
  • substandard water service connections.

The TTC is detouring shuttle buses along these routes, while the street is closed during phase 2:

  • 301L Queen / Long Branch overnight;
  • 501L Queen / Long Branch; and
  • 501P Queen / Humber.

301-501_TW_Aug23.gif

Phase 2A construction on Queen West between University and Simcoe and the resulting TTC detours continue “for approximately 6 weeks”, meaning as late as until October 2.

(Phase 1 construction — between Bay and York Streets — started Monday, July 12. Phase 2 construction — between York Street and University Avenue — started Monday, August 9. Queen West between Bay and Simcoe Streets remains closed to traffic.)


The City and the TTC are co-ordinating several construction projects to upgrade infrastructure, including:

  • replacing the streetcar tracks between Fennings and Bay Streets;
  • replacing the streetcar tracks at the intersection of Queen Street West with Shaw Street;
  • replacing the water main and the City-owned portion of substandard water services between University Avenue and Bay Street; and
  • improving the streetscape on Queen Street West between Spadina Avenue and McCaul Street, in partnership with the Queen Street West Business Improvement Area.

Since Monday, May 9, the TTC has detoured streetcars along these routes to accommodate the early work on the project:

  • 301 Queen overnight;
  • 501 Queen.

Buses have replaced the cars along the routes west of Parliament Street since then.


Since “the week of” Tuesday, May 25, crews have been storing and welding rail in the track area of Queen Street West between York and Bay Streets to prepare for phases 1 to 4 of this project.

The ongoing construction project at the intersection of Queen Street West / King Street West / The Queensway / Roncesvalles Avenue also continues to affect service along the routes.


501L Queen / Long Branch
501P Queen / Humber shuttle bus
301 Queen / Long Branch overnight

From 5 a.m. Monday, August 23 until Saturday, October 2, eastbound buses operate along their regular routes to Queen Street West and McCaul Street, then detour:

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

Eastbound buses skip their regular stops

  • on Queen Street West at University Avenue and York and Bay Streets.

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

  • on Bay Street at Albert Street and across from Hagerman Street and
  • on Dundas Street West at Chestnut Street and University Avenue.

Westbound buses reverse the eastbound detour routing.

Westbound buses skip their regular stops

  • on Queen Street West across from York Street and at University Avenue and St. Patrick Street.

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

  • on Dundas Street West at University Avenue and Chestnut and Bay Streets and
  • on Bay Street at Hagerman Street and beside Nathan Phillips Square.