John Tory 'hurries up' the Gardiner Expressway construction

Mayor John Tory announced that construction on a section of the Gardiner Expressway will finish two months early, with added costs of up to $2 million.

The expressway is expected to re-open in May 2015, ahead of the scheduled reopening. The part of the Gardiner in question is the western deck, from the Exhibition Place to Grand Magazine Street. The remaining portion will continue as scheduled.

The maximum amount of money the city will spend on expediting the project is $2-million, which Tory said was for increased labour.

"I believe this is a very sound investment, and if you asked people in Toronto they'd say, 'Yes, go ahead and do that,'" said Tory.

Tory said finishing phase one of the Gardiner construction two months early is part of his "Hurry Up Strategy".

"Asking the question of how we can hurry this up...is a fundamental part of my job," he said.

"The people sent me here to upset the status quo," he said in reference to the time it takes to get projects done.

Tory said he was pleased to see poles erected on the Gardiner, which he said would be used to light up the roadway for night work.

Councillor Jaye Robinson, who is chair of the public works and infrastructure committee, called the move "a common sense approach."

The city estimates the cost of construction on the Gardiner Expressway is about $1-million per day for commuters as a result of increased travel time from lane closures related to construction.

The full completion of the work on the expressway is expected to be completed by December 2016.