Construction on Broadview Avenue starts today. Here's what you should know

Travelling through Toronto's east end will become more difficult for some transit users and drivers starting Tuesday, as Broadview Avenue is set to undergo some significant roadwork.

The City of Toronto and the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) will replace streetcar tracks on Broadview between Gerrard Street East and Danforth Avenue, after which the city will resurface the road and repair the sidewalks in the area.

The construction project, which is projected to cost $6.5 million, will not be completed until November, the city said in a news release Friday.

As a result, while vehicles will be able to travel northbound on Broadview with one lane remaining open, the construction will make the road too narrow for buses to safely pass, forcing cancellation of some bus routes.

There will be no access for vehicles travelling southbound on Broadview between Gerrard Street East and Danforth Avenue.

The 504 King and 505 Dundas bus service between Broadview Station and Gerrard Street have both been cancelled since June 18 and will remain out of service due to construction. However, Broadview Station will continue to be open with subway service not affected. 

The 8 Broadview bus route will be extended to Warden Station via O'Connor Drive and St. Clair Avenue East, replacing the 70C Coxwell route.

In addition to the road repairs, sewers in the area will also be undergoing work to avoid the need for extensive excavation, the city says. Sewage work will be done in phases and is expected to be completed by early next year.

Mo Pannu, the director of roadways design and construction with the City of Toronto, said the project, once complete, is expected to reduce noise in the area and improve TTC service in that stretch of the city.

"Obviously this will bring a lot of challenges and we are hoping that we will have patience from our area residents, businesses as well as the travelling public," Pannu said Friday.

"Our infrastructure is aging and there is no question that there is a need for the replacement and upgrading of this infrastructure."

This comes a few weeks after the TTC rolled out significant changes to its bus and streetcar service in the city's east end to prepare for some major infrastructure projects. 

Pannu said the city is taking multiple steps to manage the traffic flow in the area, including using live video-monitoring, message boards, traffic agents and paid police officers to help tackle congestion in the busy corridor, though the city is advising those needing to access the area to use alternate routes and allow extra time to get to and from their destinations.

Pearl Lien, owner of Tung Hing bakery, says she worries that many of her customers, who are elderly Toronto residents that take transit from downtown to Riverdale, may find the commute too difficult.