Key Takeaways:
- Stantec has been selected as the Owner’s Engineer/Technical Advisory Services for Section 4 of Toronto’s F.G. Gardiner Expressway Rehabilitation Project, a critical corridor undergoing extensive upgrades to extend its lifespan amidst heavy use and aging infrastructure.
- The project involves complex work in the city’s downtown core, including the replacement of 2.2 kilometers of elevated roadway, structural modifications, and bridge rehabilitation, with a $24 million contract value for Stantec.
- Stantec’s recent acquisition of Morrison Hershfield has bolstered its transportation expertise, enabling the firm to take on high-profile projects.
The Whole Story:
Stantec has been selected by the City of Toronto for Owner’s Engineer/Technical Advisory Services (OETA) for the delivery of the F.G. Gardiner Expressway Rehabilitation Project Section 4.
Stantec will provide multidisciplinary engineering consulting services through planning and preliminary design, procurement, design-build, and post construction. Early in 2024, Stantec announced its acquisition of Morrison Hershfield, which doubled its transportation staff in Ontario and strengthened its presence in the Greater Toronto Area.
The Gardiner Expressway is one of Canada’s busiest corridors, with 140,000 vehicles traveling it daily. Age, heavy use, weather, and salt have necessitated a multiyear rehabilitation to extend its life. The expressway runs along established neighborhoods and the city’s downtown core, making it an extremely complex project.
“The Gardiner Expressway is a critical corridor for the city,” said Susan Walter, executive vice president of Infrastructure at Stantec. “We have been working with the City of Toronto’s on its multiyear Strategic Rehabilitation Plan to support the safe operation and increase the life of this 60-year-old expressway since 2019.”
Section 4 of the rehabilitation will replace 2.2 kilometers of elevated roadway from Grand Magazine Street to York Street. It is in the heart of the City of Toronto and includes 91 bridge spans and 5 on- and off-ramps. The rehabilitation strategy will include structural modifications, deck replacement, structural steel girder repairs or replacement, and substructure rehabilitation and associated works. Stantec’s contract on Section 4 is valued at $24 million.
Stantec has previously completed significant work for the City of Toronto on the Gardiner Expressway Rehabilitation Plan, including of the ongoing Section 2 deck replacement from Dufferin Street to Strachan Avenue, contract administration for Section 1 from Jarvis Street to Cherry Street, and preliminary design for Section 5 from Cherry Street to the Don Valley Parkway.
“Since 1979, we have completed extensive work for the City of Toronto on the Gardiner Expressway,” said Jim Weir, transportation regional growth leader for Canada at Stantec. “We will be working closely with the City to safely upgrade Section 4 from the earliest stages until construction completion.”
Stantec has helped deliver several major transportation projects around the Greater Toronto Area. The projects include the Toronto Subway Program, Ontario Line, Hazel McCallion Line, Waterfront East Light Rail Transit Extension, Highway 401/409 Rail Tunnel, and the rehabilitation and reconstruction of 63 bridges across the city.
Several weeks ago, the province announced the start of the second phase of construction on the Gardiner Expressway four months ahead of schedule. Officials stated that the early milestone was the result of the government’s $73 million investment in the project on the condition that construction work may be allowed to proceed 24/7.
“We’re making real progress on our government’s plan to fight gridlock and keep drivers moving,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation. “Under the leadership of Premier Ford, we’re not only getting it done on the Gardiner Expressway, we’re also bringing common sense changes to bike lanes through new legislation and speeding up construction of priority highway projects like Highway 413, Bradford Bypass and the Garden City Skyway bridge, to help get drivers across the province out of gridlock.”