Ride for Heart to close Gardiner, DVP Sunday

The Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway are going to be taken over by bicycles and runners this Sunday for the Manulife Ride for Heart.

On June 3, from 2 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the earliest, the highways will be closed to allow participants in the charity event to cycle, walk or run along the course. Participants start at different times depending on mode of transportation and length of course, but the most enthusiastic will hit the road at 6 a.m.

All ramps to and from the Gardiner Expressway will be closed from the Humber River east to the DVP, and all ramps to and from the DVP will be closed from Lake Shore Blvd. north to Highway 401.

Sections of the highways will gradually reopen at different times, but the end time for the event is approximate, so some areas may not fully reopen until after 3 p.m.

Traffic delays are expected as a result, with the most severe predicted between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. In that time period, there could be delays of an hour on Lake Shore Blvd. and delays from 15 to 30 minutes on nearby roads that rely on the Gardiner or the DVP.

TTC buses and streetcars in the area will also experience serious delays, and GO Transit bus service to and from Union Station will be shut down between 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

The eastbound ramp to Lake Shore Blvd. near Park Lawn was closed Friday due to emergency repairs on a watermain break. It is expected to re-open Saturday.