Search Transit Toronto

Queen Street West track and water-main construction: Phase 5 starts November 1; 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 — Friday, November 19, 5:01 p.m.: The City says it’s “accelerating streetcar-track replacement work on Queen Street West to reduce disruption to area businesses during the holiday season. Work between Spadina Avenue [and] Bathurst Street will now be completed earlier than planned. The contractor has started installing construction fencing and road closure signage around the upcoming work zone… so that work can begin as soon as possible.

“As crews move westward along Queen Street West, they will reopen sections of the road once work is completed, starting from Bathurst Street. The accelerated work schedule will allow the contractor to fully reopen Queen Street West by December 6, 2021.”

Accordingly, construction on phase 5 and the resulting TTC detour continue on Queen West between Bathurst and Spadina until December 6.


Update — Thursday, November 18, 9:13 a.m.: Phase 6 construction — between Bathurst and Niagara Streets — and the resulting TTC detours start Thursday, November 18. Phase 5 construction and the resulting TTC detour continue.


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. Phase 5 construction and the resulting TTC detour continue.


Starting Monday, November 1, the City of Toronto is closing:

  • Queen Street West between Spadina Avenue and Bathurst Street

to accommodate Phase 5 of a major project to upgrade infrastructure on Queen West between Fennings and Bay Streets.

Queen West - map of phase 5 work.jpg

During this phase, crews are:

The crews are not replacing the tracks at the junctions of Queen West with Spadina and Bathurst.

The TTC is detouring shuttle buses along these routes, while the street is closed during phase 5:

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

2021 - 11-01 - 501 Queen bus detour.jpg

The City expects to open Queen West between John Street and Spadina to traffic Saturday, November 6.

Phase 5 construction on Queen West between Spadina and Bathurst and the resulting TTC detours continue “for approximately 3 weeks”, meaning as late as until November 21.


Earlier construction phases of the project:

Upcoming phases of the project:

  • Phase 5A — at the junction of Queen West and Shaw Street;
  • Phase 6 — between Niagara and Bathurst Streets;
  • Phase 7 — between Shaw and Niagara Streets; and
  • Phase 8 — between Shaw Street and east of Fennings.

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 this route to accommodate these and other projects on Queen Streets East and West:

Buses have replaced the cars along the route at various sites west of Parliament Street since then.

Starting Thanksgiving, Monday, October 11, 2021, the TTC has operated buses, instead of streetcars, along the entire 301 Queen overnight route.


The TTC has been storing rail on Queen West near Trinity Bellwoods Park to supply phases 5 through 8 of the project since Monday, May 31.

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.


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

From Monday, September 27 until Monday, November 1, eastbound buses operate along their usual route to Queen Street West and Bathurst Street, then proceed:

southward along Bathurst;
eastward along Adelaide Street West; and then
northward along York Street to Queen West,
resuming their usual route eastward along Queen.

Eastbound buses skip their usual stops

  • on Queen Street West at Augusta and Spadina Avenues, Peter and John Streets and University Avenue.

Westbound buses operate along their usual route to Queen Street West and York Street, then proceed:

southward along York;
westward along Richmond Street West; and then
northward along Bathurst Street to Queen West,
resuming their usual route westward along Queen.

Westbound buses skip their regular stops

  • on Queen Street West at University Avenue, St. Patrick, John and Soho Streets, Spadina and Augusta Avenues and Bathurst Street.