The new favoured East Gardiner Expressway plan pushes the elevated highway north — and its long-term cost over the $1-billion mark.

“It’s the best of the worst,” options for the east downtown waterfront neighbourhood that includes the Gardiner-Don Valley Parkway junction, declared Pam McConnell, the area’s councillor.

She favoured the replacement of the elevated Gardiner with a ground-level boulevard — the option that would have cost less than half the new proposals but was strongly opposed by Mayor John Tory over concerns it would slow traffic. Council in June voted 24-21 for Tory’s favoured “hybrid” option to take down only the elevated portion east of the Don River.

After that vote, Tory signalled he wanted to find a hybrid that, as much as possible, appeases downtown councillors and their constituents who hope to open up the burgeoning West Don Lands neighbourhood.

City and Waterfront Toronto staff released detailed assessments Tuesday of three hybrid configurations — one much like that was voted on by council, with new ramps but the current DVP link, and two others that relocate the Gardiner east of Cherry St. north toward the rail corridor and away from Lake Ontario.

“The taking down of the Gardiner was the best option,” for the decrepit aging span, McConnell (Ward 28 Toronto Centre-Rosedale) said, adding she nevertheless accepts democracy and has worked with city staff to try to find the best alternative.

McConnell planned to consult residents, but said she will likely back Option 3, which moves the Gardiner furthest north and is the most expensive. City and Waterfront Toronto staff say they expect to recommend that option to the public works committee and city council.

“The moving of the highway … allows us to have better opportunity for affordable housing, more green space, less impact on the jewel which is Lake Ontario and allows the development of the waterfront and the lake to continue right down into the Port Lands,” she said.

Councillor Paula Fletcher, who represents neighbouring Ward 30 Toronto-Danforth, echoed McConnell’s sentiments, adding that the third option looks most conducive to a future east Gardiner teardown.

A look at the options

Hybrid 1: Keeps current Gardiner-DVP link, removes Logan St. on/off ramps, adds two ramps in Keating precinct. Limits public realm improvement, bad for pedestrians. Projected cost: $424 million to build, $906 million when you include long-term costs.

Hybrid 2: Realigns Gardiner-DVP ramps to north, removes Logan St. on/off ramps, adds two ramps in Keating precinct. Opens up water’s edge along Keating Channel. Sharper turn onto DVP means 50 km-h limit and warning signs. Projected cost: $526 million to build, $1.01 billion when you include long-term costs.

Hybrid 3: Pushes Gardiner-DVP ramps further north, removes Logan St. on/off ramps, adds two ramps in Keating precinct, scores highest for public realm improvements and most other criteria. Sharper turn onto DVP means 50 km-h limit and warning signs. Projected cost: $569 million to build, $1.052 billion when you include long-term costs.

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Two community-suggested options — putting the roadway over the rail corridor and replacing the elevated expressway with a hill-sloped viaduct — were rejected for reasons, including cost and build time.

City staff, who say none of the options will noticeably affect car travel times, will make their recommendation to the public works committee in February. The debate will move to city council in March, followed by submission of an environmental assessment to Ontario’s Environment ministry.

Barring delay, work is expected to start in 2019. The first option could be built in four years while the other two options would both take five years.

Correction - January 20, 2015: This article was edited from a previous version that misstated the posted speed limit on the Gardiner-DVP ramps in Hybrid 2 and Hybrid 3.



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