416 TRAFFIC/DRIVING IN/FROM HAMILTON

Commuter route~70 KM · 60–95 MIN●LIVE

Hamilton → Toronto

The standard route is QEW over the Burlington Bay Skyway, then into the Gardiner. Current and upcoming road issues on the main Hamilton-to-Toronto commute corridors.

2/ 5

★ Today’s read · Thu, Apr 30Daytime is mostly clear. Most active closures are nightly maintenance windows that won’t affect a typical drive.

/01

The route, leg by leg

Live conditions at each stage of the trip · 3 legs · 70 km

Hamilton exit · QEW NB / 403 → Skyway

MINOR · NIGHTS

★ ~20 KM · LEAVING HAMILTON VIA THE QEW OR 403 ONTO THE BURLINGTON BAY SKYWAY

Leaving Hamilton via the QEW or 403 onto the Burlington Bay Skyway. The Skyway is the single biggest chokepoint on the route — closures here cascade for hours.

QEW WBGUELPH LINE

all lanes closed · off-ramp · maintenance

11:00PM–5:00AMNIGHT

QEW WBNORTHSHORE BLVD and FAIRVIEW STREET/PLAINS ROAD

1 right lane · construction

10:00PM–5:00AMNIGHT

QEW WBFAIRVIEW STREET/PLAINS ROAD and BRANT STREET

1 alternating lane · construction

10:00PM–5:00AMNIGHT

QEW WBBRANT STREET and GUELPH LINE

1 right lane · construction

10:00PM–5:00AMNIGHT

Mid-QEW · Burlington → Oakville → Mississauga

MINOR · NIGHTS

★ ~35 KM · OPEN-HIGHWAY STRETCH THROUGH BURLINGTON AND OAKVILLE

Open-highway stretch through Burlington and Oakville. Watch for incidents at Trafalgar and the Mississauga Rd interchange.

Eastbound1

HWY 403 MISSISSAUGA EBBURNHAMTHORPE ROAD and WINSTON CHURCHILL BLVD

1 right lane · maintenance

10:00PM–5:00AMNIGHT

Westbound2

HWY 403 MISSISSAUGA WBERIN MILLS PKWY and WINSTON CHURCHILL BLVD

2 alternating lanes · construction

9:00PM–6:00AMNIGHT

QEW WBERIN MILLS PKWY/SOUTHDOWN ROAD and MISSISSAUGA ROAD

1 right lane · maintenance

10:00PM–5:00AMNIGHT

Toronto entry · QEW → Gardiner

MINOR · NIGHTS

★ ~15 KM · QEW BECOMES THE GARDINER EAST OF THE 427

QEW becomes the Gardiner east of the 427. Event nights and weekend Gardiner closures are the usual culprits here.

Westbound1

QEW WBCAWTHRA ROAD and DIXIE ROAD

2 left lanes · construction

9:00PM–5:00AMNIGHT

Direction not specified1

Lake Shore W Gardiner W RampLake Shore W Gardiner W Ramp 4 m West of Lake Shore Blvd W to 165 m Southwest of Humber River Recreational Trl; Lake Shore Blvd W; Humber River Recreational Trl

one direction

11:00PM–5:00AMNIGHT

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When to drive today

Combined route impact by hour, with closures grouped by direction above

★ Hourly route load · Thu, Apr 30

calmplan aheadheavy

10a

11a

12p

10p

11p

Lightest tracked window today: 6 AM – 9 PM.

/03

Three ways into the city

Pick by destination

QEW → Gardiner

Usual choice

The standard route. Stays on the QEW east over the Skyway and into the Gardiner.

Best for: Downtown · Waterfront · Financial districtLess useful if: Skyway or Gardiner has a major closure

403 → 407 → 427 / 401

Alt

Tolled bypass: take the 403 to the 407 east, exit onto the 427 south for the Gardiner or stay on the 401 east for the DVP. Often dramatically faster during Skyway closures.

Best for: When the Skyway or QEW east is closedLess useful if: You want to avoid 407 tolls

Lake Shore Blvd

Alt

Surface alternative parallel to the Gardiner. Adds 15–25 minutes in peak.

Best for: Last-mile backup when Gardiner east is closed

GO Train · Lakeshore West

Not driving

All-day frequent service; routinely faster than driving when the Skyway is impacted.

Stops: West Harbour · Aldershot · Burlington · Appleby · Bronte · Oakville · Clarkson · Port Credit · Exhibition · Union

/04

Roads to check

★ Sources

Road conditions use the same Toronto and Ontario source records that feed the daily traffic brief.

Last refresh: 2026-04-29T23:55:40.864400