TORONTO

The Gardiner Expressway will be closed this weekend for its annual spring cleaning.

City officials announced Tuesday that the highway will be closed for maintenance from Carlaw Ave. to Highway 427 starting at 10 p.m. Friday until noon on Sunday.

“Full closure of the Gardiner Expressway is needed to ensure safety for the public and for crews working at the site,” the city stated.

Crews will be cleaning out catch basins in about 1,000 spots, painting around 15 km of pavement markings, repairing potholes, fixing about 300 metres of guardrail, inspecting bridges, installing four new overhead signs, and conducting sweeping and litter removal operations.

“This is very important work that we need to do to keep our road infrastructure in a safe and operable condition,” Public Works chairman Denzil Minnan-Wong said in a statement. “We thank the public for their patience as we perform this important work on and around the roadway.”

The weekend closure also marks the start of major rehabilitation work planned for the roadway this summer.

Officials warned that starting next Monday, the Gardiner’s eastbound lanes will be closed overnight between the Humber River and Carlaw Ave. for the initial setup for three major construction projects.