Toronto residents and visitors should anticipate significant traffic disruptions this weekend due to multiple events, including the Supertri Toronto triathlon and the Toronto Chinatown Festival. Road closures will affect major thoroughfares like the Gardiner Expressway, Don Valley Parkway (DVP), and Lake Shore Boulevard West.
The Supertri Toronto, formerly known as the Toronto Triathlon Festival, is in its 13th year and is described as a prominent urban race experience in North America. The event features a 1.5-kilometre swim at Ontario Place, a 40-kilometre cycle on the Gardiner and DVP, and a 10-kilometre run on Lake Shore. It previously served as a test event for the 2015 Pan Am Games.
Police have advised motorists to plan ahead, allow extra travel time, consider alternative routes, and follow all posted detour signage and directions from police officers and event personnel. The triathlon is expected to draw more than 1,750 athletes and over 200 volunteers, necessitating temporary road and lane closures around Exhibition Place to ensure safety for all participants, spectators, and volunteers.
Weekend Road Closures for Supertri Toronto
Several key road sections will be closed on Sunday for the triathlon:
- The westbound curb lane of Lake Shore Boulevard West, from New Brunswick Way to British Columbia Road, will be closed from 5 a.m. to approximately 2 p.m.
- The eastbound curb lane of Lake Shore Boulevard West, from Ontario Drive to about 300 metres east of British Columbia Road, will be closed from 4 a.m. to 11 a.m.
- The eastbound Gardiner Expressway, from the Humber River to the DVP, will be closed from 2 a.m. to 12 p.m.
- The northbound DVP, from the Gardiner Expressway to Eglinton Avenue, will also be closed from 2 a.m. to 12 p.m.
These closures are in place to accommodate the cycling and running portions of the triathlon, which utilize these major roadways.
Toronto Chinatown Festival and Transit Disruptions
In addition to the triathlon, the Toronto Chinatown Festival will also be held this weekend. The festival will take place on Saturday from noon to midnight, and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., in the area of Spadina Avenue and Dundas Street West.
For the festival, road closures will be in effect from midnight on Friday until midnight on Sunday on southbound Spadina Avenue, between Sullivan Street and St. Andrew Street. Police have advised motorists to consider alternative transportation methods, noting that the TTC may also experience delays due to these events.
Public transit users should also be aware of planned service disruptions. On Sunday, Line 1 subway service between St. George and Broadview stations will not begin until 11 a.m. due to planned infrastructure maintenance. Shuttle buses will replace subway service during this period.
GO Transit services will also be affected. On both Saturday and Sunday, GO buses will replace train service on the Kitchener Line between Stratford or Kitchener and Mount Pleasant GO stations. Furthermore, there will be no GO train service between Allandale Waterfront GO and Union Station on the Barrie Line throughout Saturday and Sunday.
Sports Teams Away or Off
For sports enthusiasts, all four major professional sports teams in Toronto will either be off or playing away from the city this weekend. The Blue Jays are scheduled to be in Boston for a three-game series against the Red Sox. The Argonauts and Toronto FC are playing on Saturday in Vancouver and Washington, D.C., respectively. The Tempo will have an eight-day break before their next game against the Minnesota Lynx in Minneapolis next Tuesday.
These concurrent events and transit changes underscore the importance of planning travel in advance for anyone navigating Toronto this weekend, with police encouraging adherence to all detour signage.
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Source: cp24.com
