The City of Toronto and the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) have begun work to renew aging streetcar tracks at the Bathurst Street and Lake Shore Boulevard West intersection and replace the 105-year-old watermain. This work is required to bring City infrastructure to a state of good repair and is part of the Council-approved 2024 Capital Works Program.
Additional TTC routing adjustment – Effective Monday, March 3, 2025
Due to lane configuration changes on Bathurst Street, which are required for construction to continue, the 509B Harbourfront replacement bus will be modified slightly via Housey Street and south on Dan Leckie Way instead of south on Bathurst Street. The TTC will mail an updated Transit Notice with this information. There will also be updates to affected transit pole cards, the 509 Harbourfront streetcar route page and transit apps.
TTC Service update – 509B Harbourfront Replacement bus March 3 route change
Traffic impacts
This project is now anticipated to be complete by the end of May 2025. Starting March 3 until mid-April, there will be no southbound vehicle travel on Bathurst Street south of Housey Street to Lake Shore Boulevard West to carry out the watermain and track replacement work.
Work area
TTC service impacts
In order to accommodate this construction, both the 509 Harbourfront and 511 Bathurst streetcars will be diverted.
511 Bathurst streetcars will operate from Bathurst Station to King Street West at Spadina Avenue.
511B Bathurst replacement buses will operate from Bathurst Street at Queen Street West to Exhibition Loop.
509 Harbourfront streetcars will operate from Union Station to Queens Quay West at Spadina Avenue.
509B Harbourfront replacement buses will operate from Queens Quay West at Spadina Avenue to Exhibition Loop.
Construction phases and work hours
Construction is expected to take place over three phases from February 2025 to June 2025:
Work phase | Expected dates | Scope of work | Location |
Phase 1A | February 17 to March 2025 | Watermain replacement | The watermain running north-south along Bathurst Street, from the north side of Bathurst Street and Lake Shore Boulevard West intersection to just south of Fleet Street. |
Phase 1B | March to late April 2025 | Watermain replacement | The watermain running north-south along Bathurst Street, from the south side of Bathurst Street and Lake Shore Boulevard West intersection to the public lane south of the Esso gas station. |
Phase 2 | March to late April 2025 | Streetcar track renewal | The streetcar track running north-south along Bathurst Street, from the north side of the intersection of Bathurst Street and Lake Shore Boulevard West to just south of Fleet Street. |
Phase 3 | Late April to June 2025 | Streetcar track renewal | The streetcar track running north-south along Bathurst Street, from the south side of Bathurst Street and Lake Shore Boulevard West intersection to the public lane south of the Esso gas station. |
Once the streetcar track renewal work is completed, from mid-May to June, the City's contractor will undertake restoration work and will complete the project. TTC crews will then test the newly installed tracks to ensure they are safe and reliable, prior to streetcar service resuming. The TTC anticipates regular service on the 509 Harbourfront and 511 Bathurst will resume by the end of June 2025.
During construction, TTC crews must work around the clock (24/7), specifically during new rail installation to preserve the integrity and quality of the new rail and concrete. Additional overnight rail work may include moving the new rail into position for installation.
Project links
City of Toronto construction update notice as at 21-Feb-2025
City of Toronto Pre-construction notice
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