Adelaide Street from York Street to Victoria Street
What we are doing and why
In December 2022, the City of Toronto and TTC finished installing new streetcar tracks on Adelaide Street (York Street to Charlotte Street). The new tracks will allow the TTC to operate future reliable route diversions in the downtown core to minimize the impact on customers and maintain service standards.
Queen Street closure
On May 1, 2023, Metrolinx closed Queen Street (Bay Street to Yonge Street and Yonge Street to Victoria Street) for 4.5 years to begin construction of the new Ontario Line Subway. 501 Queen Streetcars started diverting via McCaul Street, Dundas Street, and Broadview Avenue to regular routing. This diversion was put into place to provide continuous, frequent, and reliable 501 Queen Streetcar service during Ontario Line construction downtown until a permanent streetcar eastbound diversion is constructed on Adelaide Street (York Street to Church Street). The tracks for a westbound diversion are currently in place on Richmond Street. Learn more about this planned diversion here.
After careful review and monitoring, the TTC has determined that splitting the 501 Queen Streetcar into multiple shorter sections would provide better service to customers while still providing connections to nearby subway stations. The multiple shorter sections began operating in early September 2023. Learn more about the new diversions here.
View a larger version of the map.
The current 501 Queen Streetcar diversion will be in place until the City and TTC finish building new streetcar tracks on Adelaide Street (York Street to Victoria Street). This section of tracks will allow streetcars to effectively divert eastbound on Adelaide Street. Streetcars will divert west on Richmond Street where tracks are currently in place. This diversion will be in effect for the remainder of Metrolinx’s Queen Street closure.
Learn more about this diversion here.
Work hours and timeline
- Beginning Monday, October 2 until the end of the month, crews will begin to install tracks and perform work on multiple underground utility vaults on the south side of the intersection. During construction, motorists and cyclists can expect the following impacts:
- York Street, from King Street West to Adelaide Street West, will be open to local traffic only
- No northbound traffic will be permitted on York Street, from King Street West to Adelaide Street West
- Northbound travel from Adelaide Street West onto York Street will remain open
- One shared eastbound lane for people cycling and driving will remain open on Adelaide Street West, from York Street to Victoria Street
- Starting in late October 2023, track installation work is expected to start on Adelaide Street, from Victoria Street towards Yonge Street.
- Travel on Adelaide Street will be reduced to a shared eastbound travel lane through the work zone.
- Beginning Wednesday, November 1 until mid-December, the intersection of Adelaide Street and York Street will be fully closed to traffic so that crews can safely install TTC tracks in the intersection.
- During the closure, the streets around the intersection will be open to local traffic only. Pedestrian access will be maintained at all times throughout construction.
- Crews will return in spring 2024 to replace the remaining segment of track (Yonge Street to York Street), followed by installation of overhead wiring.
- It is expected that track installation between York Street and Victoria Street will be completed by spring 2024.
- Lanes will re-open on Adelaide Street within this stretch, as crews complete sections of track.
- Work can take place 24 hours 7 days a week. Excavation activities and heavy breaking will be carried out at various times throughout the day. The majority of excavation work will take place between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. Around-the-clock work during rail installation by TTC is required to preserve the integrity and quality of new rail and concrete. Overnight rail work by TTC may consist of moving new rail into position, and rail installation.
- TTC crews completed preparatory rail welding work in August 2023. The newly welded rail strings are currently stored in a pile on the south curb lane on Adelaide Street, west of Church Street. Crews will draw welded rail strings from this pile on an as-needed basis until they are depleted.