The street closures around Trump International Tower and Hotel in Toronto’s financial district that began Monday ended about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, shortly before evening rush hour, after engineers declared that its antenna did not pose a safety risk.

“The decision to close the roads was taken out of appropriate concerns for public safety,” the mayor’s office said in a statement released Tuesday afternoon, which added that Mayor John Tory has asked for an investigation of the incident.

According to tower developer Talon International Development, “After more than a day of extensive examination, it was determined by the various engineering specialists and consultants involved, including the fabricator of the structural steel framing, that the spire at the Trump Hotel and Residences Toronto is structurally sound. There was never a risk to public safety.”

People involved in the design and construction of the antenna flew in Monday night to inspect the site, Tory said. He said the city was right to act “with an abundance of caution” even if initial concerns about the safety of the antenna proved unfounded.

“Had anything fallen off that building and killed somebody or injured somebody, there would have been a lot of questions to be answered,” he said at a news conference.

Tory was also critical of the tower’s owners, saying that he wants them to do a better job of communicating.

“There was a considerable cost and considerable disruption to the city that resulted from what went on for the last 24 hours, and I would like to make sure there’s accountability for that.

“In a big city like this, people have to be responsible for their buildings and their actions,” Tory said.

A crew performing routine maintenance on the roof Monday morning told building management that “a portion the spire may need further inspection,” according to Talon. Management then told Toronto police, who closed the area around Bay St. and Adelaide St. W. to all pedestrian and vehicle traffic. Police said they received a call that the antenna on top of the 65-storey, 277-metre tall tower was “swaying.”

Talon said a specialist dispatched to a tower found the concerns were “unsubstantiated.” However, the City of Toronto ordered the building management to seek a professional engineer’s report on the safety of the antenna.

The closure shut down Bay St. northbound from King St. W. and southbound from Richmond St., as well as Adelaide St. W. eastbound from York St.

With files from Sean Wetselaar and Stephanie Werner

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