Starting Thursday, November 11 TTC crews are occupying the two track lanes on

• Queen Street West between east of Ossington Avenue and Massey Street and
• Shaw Street just south of Queen Street West

to weld standard lengths of rail into longer strings.

Crews weld the rail to prepare for the City of Toronto / TTC project to renew the streetcar tracks on Queen West between Fenning and Bay Streets.

This advance work allows TTC crews to install new track more quickly, reducing the timeline for disrupting the nearby neighbourhood. Crews gradually deplete the rail pile from this location, as they renew the tracks and install new rail , specifically phase 5A of the project at the track junction of Queen West and Shaw, starting Monday, November 15.

Crews mostly weld the strings of rail from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. However, they may occasionally work after hours and overnight when crews deliver rail to support daytime welding activities.

^ Image, TTC.

The work zone for welding may block motorists from turning left onto or off of Queen West. The City will prohibit on-street parking near the welding work zone to maintain traffic in the two curb lanes. It will also prohibit parking during rail storage on the north curb lane beside the park.

The TTC has already replaced streetcars with buses along this section of Queen Street West to accommodate this project. It’s also detouring buses along these routes during phase 5A of the project:

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

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