Stantec to lead technical advisory services for Gardiner Expressway rehabilitation in Toronto

Ontario Construction News staff writer

The City of Toronto has chosen Stantec to provide Owner’s Engineer/Technical Advisory Services (OETA) for the rehabilitation of Section 4 of the Gardiner Expressway. Stantec will complete a range of multidisciplinary engineering services, from planning and preliminary design to procurement, design-build, and post-construction phases.

The announcement comes after Stantec’s acquisition of Morrison Hershfield earlier in 2024, a move that significantly expanded its transportation staff in Ontario and bolstered its presence in the Greater Toronto Area.

“The Gardiner Expressway is a critical corridor for the city,” said Susan Walter, executive vice president of Infrastructure at Stantec. “Since 2019, we have been collaborating with the City of Toronto on its Strategic Rehabilitation Plan to ensure the safe operation and increased longevity of this 60-year-old expressway.”

The expressway, which runs through established neighborhoods and Toronto’s downtown core, has suffered the effects of age, heavy traffic, weather, and salt, making the multiyear rehabilitation necessary to extend its lifespan.

Section 4 of the project, which spans 2.2 kilometers from Grand Magazine Street to York Street, will involve extensive structural upgrades. The work will include replacing elevated roadway sections, structural modifications, deck replacement, repairs or replacement of steel girders, and substructure rehabilitation. The section also includes 91 bridge spans and five on- and off-ramps. Stantec’s contract for this phase of the project is valued at C$24 million.

Stantec has a long history of working with the City of Toronto on Gardiner Expressway projects, including the ongoing Section 2 deck replacement between Dufferin Street and Strachan Avenue, as well as contract administration for Section 1 from Jarvis Street to Cherry Street. The firm has also completed preliminary design work for Section 5, which spans from Cherry Street to the Don Valley Parkway.

“Since 1979, Stantec has completed extensive work on the Gardiner Expressway,” said Jim Weir, transportation regional growth leader for Canada at Stantec. “We are excited to continue our partnership with the City of Toronto, supporting the safe and efficient rehabilitation of this vital piece of infrastructure.”

In addition to its work on the Gardiner Expressway, Stantec has been involved in several other major transportation projects across the Greater Toronto Area, including the Toronto Subway Program, the Ontario Line, the Hazel McCallion Line, the Waterfront East Light Rail Transit Extension, and the Highway 401/409 Rail Tunnel. The firm has also played a key role in the rehabilitation and reconstruction of 63 bridges throughout the city.