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.
Starting 5 a.m. Wednesday, December 1, the City of Toronto is reopening
- Queen Street West between Bathurst Street and Spadina Avenue,
as contractors have completed Phase 5 of a major project to upgrade infrastructure on Queen West between Fennings and Bay Streets.
Crews continue to work on phase 5A of the project, so the City continues to close:
- Queen Street West between Givens and Crawford Streets and
- Shaw Street north and south of Queen Street West.
^ Map of the work zone for phase 5A. Image, City of Toronto
Crews also continue to work on phase 6, so the City also continues to close:
- Queen Street West between Niagara and Bathurst Streets.
^ Map of the work zone for phase 6. Image, City of Toronto
The TTC is detouring buses along these routes, during phases 5A and 6:
- 63 Ossington;
- 301 Queen overnight;
- 363 Ossington overnight;
- 501H Queen - Humber shuttle buses; and
- 501L Queen - Long Branch shuttle buses.
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 and Spadina Avenue — started “the week of” Monday, October 11;
- Phase 5 — between Spadina and Bathurst — started Monday, November 1;
- Phase 5A — at the intersection with Shaw Street — started Monday, November 15; and
- Phase 6 — between Niagara and Bathurst Streets — started Thursday, November 18.
Upcoming phases of the project:
- Phase 7 — between Niagara and Shaw Streets; and
- Phase 8 — between Shaw Street and east of Fennings.
During this part of the project, crews may work late evenings and overnight. They excavate during various times of the day, but break or mill 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… construction.”
Expect periods of 24-hour construction activity by TTC crews throughout the project, while they 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 5 a.m. Monday, December 6, 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.
^ Image, City of Toronto
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 Tuesday, November 16 until Monday, December 6, 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.
^ Image, City of Toronto
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
301 Queen overnight
From 5 a.m. Wednesday, December 1 until 5 a.m. Monday, December 6, 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 Bathurst Street to Queen West,
resuming their regular 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, Strachan Avenue and Niagara, Tecumseth and Bathurst Streets.
Instead, eastbound buses drop off or pick up passengers at temporary stops
- on Dufferin Street at Melbourne Avenue,
- on King Street West across from Joe Shuster Way and at Atlantic Avenue and Douro and Shaw Streets, Strachan Avenue and Niagara, Tecumseth and Bathurst Streets and
- on Bathurst Street at Queen Street West.
Westbound buses reverse the eastbound detour routing.
Westbound buses skip their regular stops
- on Queen Street West at Bathurst Street and Palmerston and Claremont Avenues, 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 Bathurst Street at King Street West,
- on King Street West at Tecumseth and Niagara Streets, Strachan Avenue, Shaw and Sudbury Streets, across from Jefferson Avenue and at Joe Shuster Way and Dufferin Street and
- on Dufferin Street across from Melbourne Avenue.
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