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.
Update — New 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 on Queen West between Bathurst and Spadina continue 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.
^ Map of the work zone for Phase 5A of the project. Image, City of Toronto
Starting Monday, November 15, the City of Toronto is closing
- Queen Street West between Givens and Crawford Streets and
- Shaw Street north and south of Queen Street West
to accommodate Phase 5A of a major project to upgrade infrastructure on Queen West between Fennings and Bay Streets.
Crews continue working on Phase 5 of the project, so the City is also continues to close:
- Queen Street West between Bathurst Street and Spadina Avenue.
^ Map of the work zone for Phase 5 of the project. Image, City of Toronto
During Phase 5A, crews are:
- replacing the full depth of TTC track at the junction of Queen West and Shaw.
The TTC is detouring shuttle buses along these routes, while the street is closed during phase 5A:
- 63 Ossington;
- 301L Queen / Long Branch overnight;
- 363 Ossington overnight;
- 501H Queen / Humber; and
- 501L Queen / Long Branch.
Phase 5A construction at Queen West / Shaw and the resulting TTC detours continue until December 11.
Earlier construction phases of the project:
- Phase 1 — between Bay and York Streets — started Monday, July 12;
- Phase 2 — between York and University Avenue — started Monday, August 9;
- Phase 2A — between west of University and Simcoe Street — started Monday, August 23;
- Phase 3 — between Simcoe and Duncan Streets — started Monday, September 27;
- Phase 4 — between Duncan Street and Spadina Avenue — started “the week of” Monday, October 11; and
- Phase 5 — between Spadina and Bathurst Street — started Monday, November 1.
Upcoming phases of the project:
- Phase 6 — between Bathurst and Niagara Streets;
- Phase 7 — between Niagara and Shaw Streets; and
- Phase 8 — between Shaw Street and east of Fennings.
During phase 5A, crews work in the track area to:
- saw-cut and break concrete and excavate to completely rebuild the tracks and concrete sub-structure;
- install or place new rail and concrete;
- repave the roadway; and
- paint lines.
During this part of the project, crews may work late evenings and overnight. They excavate during various times of the day, but break concrete only from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m. According to the TTC, “Concrete breaking work is the most disruptive and will typically last the first 5 days of the intersection construction.”
Expect periods of 24-hour construction activity by TTC crews throughout the project, while the install the new rail. The TTC explains, “Around-the-clock work during rail installation is required to preserve the integrity and quality of new rail and concrete, and to support the progress of the daytime activity. Overnight rail work by TTC may consist of moving new rail into position, rail installation and rail welding / grinding.”
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:
- 501 Queen.
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.
Starting Monday, November 11, it’s also storing rail on Queen West between east of Ossington Avenue and Massey Street and on Shaw just south of Queen specifically to further supply phase 5A.
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.
63 Ossington
From Monday, November 15 until Saturday, December 11, southbound buses operate along their regular route to Ossington Avenue and Queen Street West, then detour:
westward along Queen West;
southward along Dufferin Street; and then
eastward along King Street West to Shaw Street,
resuming their regular route eastward along King West.Southbound buses skip their regular stops
- on Queen Street West at Shaw Street and
- on Shaw Street across from Adelaide Street West.
Instead, southbound buses drop off or pick up passengers at temporary stops
- on Queen Street West across from Strachan Avenue, at Shaw Street, Ossington Avenue, Dovercourt Road and Beaconsfield and Gladstone Avenues,
- on Dufferin Street at Melbourne Avenue and
- on King Street West across from Joe Shuster Way and at Atlantic Avenue and Douro Street.
Northbound buses operate along their regular route to Atlantic Avenue and King Street West, then detour:
westward along King West;
northward along Dufferin Street; and then
eastward along Queen Street West to Ossington Avenue,
resuming their regular route northward along Ossington.Northbound buses skip their regular stops
- on King Street West at Douro Street;
- on Shaw Street north of King Street West and at Adelaide and Queen Streets West and
- on Queen Street West at Ossington Avenue.
Instead, northbound buses drop off or pick up passengers at temporary stops
- on King Street West at Sudbury Street, across from Jefferson Avenue and at Joe Shuster Way and Dufferin Street,
- on Dufferin Street across from Melbourne Avenue and at Queen Street West and
- on Queen Street West at Sudbury and Abell Streets and Dovercourt Road.
363 Ossington overnight
From Monday, November 15 until Saturday, December 11, southbound buses operate along their regular route to Ossington Avenue and Queen Street West, then detour:
westward along Queen West;
southward along Dufferin Street; and then
eastward along King Street West to Shaw Street,
resuming their regular route eastward along King West.Southbound buses skip their regular stops
- on Queen Street West at Shaw Street and
- on Shaw Street across from Adelaide Street West.
Instead, southbound buses drop off or pick up passengers at temporary stops
- on Queen Street West across from Strachan Avenue, at Shaw Street, Ossington Avenue, Dovercourt Road and Beaconsfield and Gladstone Avenues,
- on Dufferin Street at Melbourne Avenue and
- on King Street West across from Joe Shuster Way and at Atlantic Avenue and Douro Street.
Northbound buses operate along their regular route to Strachan Avenue and King Street West, then detour:
westward along King West;
northward along Dufferin Street; and then
eastward along Queen Street West to Ossington Avenue,
resuming their regular route northward along Ossington.Northbound buses skip their regular stops
- on King Street West at Shaw Street;
- on Shaw Street north of King Street West and at Adelaide and Queen Streets West and
- on Queen Street West at Ossington Avenue.
Instead, northbound buses drop off or pick up passengers at temporary stops
- on King Street West at Shaw and Sudbury Streets, across from Jefferson Avenue and at Joe Shuster Way and Dufferin Street,
- on Dufferin Street across from Melbourne Avenue and at Queen Street West and
- on Queen Street West at Sudbury and Abell Streets and Dovercourt Road.
501H Queen / Humber shuttle bus
501L Queen / Long Branch shuttle bus
301L Queen / Long Branch overnight bus
(Note that buses continue to detour around the work zone for Phase 5 of the project.)
From Monday, November 15 until Saturday, December 11, eastbound buses operate along their usual route to Queen Street West and Dufferin Street, then proceed:
southward along Dufferin;
eastward along King Street West; and then
northward along Strachan Avenue to Queen West,
resuming their regular route eastward along Queen.The buses continue along their regular route to Queen and Bathurst Street, then detour again:
southward along Bathurst;
eastward along Adelaide Street West; and then
northward along York Street to Queen,
resuming their usual route eastward along Queen.Eastbound buses skip their usual stops
- on Queen Street West at Sudbury and Abell Streets, Dovercourt Road, Lower Ossington Avenue, Shaw Street and Strachan Avenue and
- on Queen Street West at Augusta and Spadina Avenues, Peter and John Streets and University Avenue.
Instead, eastbound buses drop off or pick up passengers at temporary stops
- on Dufferin Street at Melbourne Avenue and
- on King Street West across from Joe Shuster Way and at Atlantic Avenue and Douro and Shaw Streets.
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.The buses continue along their regular route to Queen and Strachan Avenue, then detour again:
southward along Strachan;
westward along King Street West; and then
northward along Dufferin Street to Queen,
resuming their regular 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 and
- on Queen Street West across from Strachan Avenue, at Shaw Street, Ossington Avenue, Dovercourt Road and Beaconsfield and Gladstone Avenues.
Instead, westbound buses drop off or pick up passengers at temporary stops
- on King Street West at Sudbury Street, across from Jefferson Avenue and at Joe Shuster Way and Dufferin Street and
- on Dufferin Street across from Melbourne Avenue.
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