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A proposal unveiled Wednesday to preserve the Gardiner Expressway west of the Don Valley would cost taxpayers $919 million while improving the commute times of relatively few residents, city staff say.

The “hybrid option” for the elevated roadway would save about three per cent of drivers two to three minutes in the morning rush hour by 2031, according to new projections.

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That’s compared with the alternatives: scrapping the Gardiner east of Jarvis Street and expanding Lakeshore Boulevard, $461 million; or refurbishing and maintaining the Gardiner as it stands, $864 million (city council has effectively rejected the second option).

The new proposals seem set to reignite a fierce political battle over the future of the decaying span.

City bureaucrats recommended demolishing the east Gardiner last year. But after several high-profile councillors objected, the public works and infrastructure committee asked staffers to study a new option.