Check downtown routes before you drive.
Start with active road impacts, then compare the downtown arterials and expressways most likely to change how you enter or leave the core.
Updated Jun 10, 7:48 a.m.
Downtown roads to check today
Active downtown records and route notes are promoted before regional highway feed items.
- Closure todayArterial
Lake Shore Boulevard
both directions lane restriction for toronto transit commission on Lake Shore Blvd W (Lake Shore Blvd W 3 m West of Third St to 10 m East of Fourth St).
Active today · Mon, Jun 8 at 7:00 PM to Sun, Jun 14 at 4:00 AM1 closure item - Planning note todayArterial
Queen Street
both directions lane restriction on Queen St W (Queen St W 43m West of Yonge St).
2 planning notes· Next: Thu, Jul 23
Regional highway feed
511-style highway records can matter for the trip into Toronto, but they are separated so they do not bury downtown route planning.
- Closure todayHighway
Highway 401
Daily Maintenance on HWY 401 Westbound Express between WENDELL AVE and KIPLING AVE, Toronto. 1 Left Lane(s).
Active today · Tue, Jun 2 at 10:00 AM to Thu, Jun 11 at 3:00 PM21 closure items· Next: In 3 days - Road impact todayHighway
Highway 427
Nightly Maintenance on HWY 427 Northbound Collector between BROWNS LINE and FINCH AVENUE, Toronto. 1 Alternating Lane(s).
Active today · Sun, Jun 7 at 10:00 PM to Sat, Jun 13 at 5:00 AM8 closure items· Next: In 3 days - Road impact todayHighway
Highway 409
Nightly Moving Maintenance Closure on HWY 409 Eastbound between HWY 427 and 401, Toronto. 1 Alternating Lane(s).
Active today · Sun, Jun 7 at 10:00 PM to Sat, Jun 13 at 5:00 AM2 closure items· Next: In 3 days - Road impact todayHighway
Highway 400
Nightly Maintenance on HWY 400 Northbound between JANE STREET, Toronto and 5TH LINE, Bradford. 1 Alternating Lane(s).
Active today · Sun, Jun 7 at 7:00 PM to Sun, Jun 14 at 6:00 AM1 closure item
Upcoming high-impact road records
Future closures and construction records most likely to require route planning.
- High impact
Nightly Construction on HWY 401 Eastbound Collector between VICTORIA PARK AVE and NEILSON ROAD, Toronto. 2 Left Lane(s).
In 3 days · Sun, Jun 14 at 10:00 PM to Wed, Jun 17 at 6:00 AM - High impact
Nightly Maintenance on HWY 427 Northbound Collector between BROWNS LINE and FINCH AVENUE, Toronto. 1 Alternating Lane(s).
In 3 days · Sun, Jun 14 at 10:00 PM to Sat, Jun 20 at 5:00 AM - High impact
Nightly Maintenance on HWY 427 Southbound Collector between FINCH AVENUE and BROWNS LINE, Toronto. 1 Alternating Lane(s).
In 3 days · Sun, Jun 14 at 10:00 PM to Sat, Jun 20 at 5:00 AM - High impact
Nightly Maintenance on HWY 427 Northbound Express between BURNHAMTHORPE ROAD and FINCH AVENUE, Toronto. 1 Alternating Lane(s).
In 3 days · Sun, Jun 14 at 10:00 PM to Fri, Jun 19 at 5:00 AM - High impact
Nightly Maintenance on HWY 427 Southbound Express between FINCH AVENUE and BURNHAMTHORPE ROAD, Toronto. 1 Alternating Lane(s).
In 3 days · Sun, Jun 14 at 10:00 PM to Fri, Jun 19 at 5:00 AM
Downtown roads
These roads matter most for Union, Rogers Centre, Scotiabank Arena, Exhibition Place, and waterfront trips.
- No active itemExpressway
Gardiner Expressway
Toronto's elevated downtown expressway, running along the waterfront from the QEW to the DVP. Short by Ontario standards (~18 km), but it carries enormous Friday-evening and event-day load.
- Typical worst times
- Eastbound 7–9am weekdays, westbound 4–7pm weekdays, both directions on Jays/TFC/concert event days.
- Next reported item
- None listed
- No active itemExpressway
Don Valley Parkway
Toronto's north-south expressway through the Don Valley, connecting the 401 to the Gardiner.
- Typical worst times
- Southbound 7–9am, northbound 4–7pm. Weekend midday closures are common for maintenance.
- Next reported item
- None listed
- Closure todayArterial
Lake Shore Boulevard
Toronto's main waterfront arterial running parallel to the Gardiner Expressway.
- Typical worst times
- Westbound from 5pm during Exhibition Place / BMO Field event nights. Both directions during Gardiner closures.
- Next reported item
- None listed
- No active itemArterial
King Street
Downtown Toronto's transit-priority east-west arterial, restricted for through-cars between Bathurst and Jarvis.
- Typical worst times
- Streetcar service runs continuously; private-vehicle through-traffic is restricted in the downtown core 24/7.
- Next reported item
- None listed
- Planning note todayArterial
Queen Street
Major east-west streetcar arterial through downtown Toronto.
- Typical worst times
- Continuous slow-moving streetcar traffic through downtown; weekend retail surge in Queen West.
- Next reported item
- Thu, Jul 23 · Thu, Jul 23 at 6:00 PM to Sat, Jul 25 at 11:59 PM
- No active itemArterial
University Avenue
Toronto's wide north-south civic boulevard between Front and Bloor, lined with hospitals and government buildings.
- Typical worst times
- Heavy hospital-shift turnover at 7am, 3pm, 11pm. Frequent demonstration/parade closures.
- Next reported item
- None listed
- No active itemArterial
Yonge Street
Toronto's signature north-south spine, running from the waterfront through downtown and beyond.
- Typical worst times
- Downtown segment crawls all day. Festival/parade closures (Pride, Santa Claus Parade, Yonge-Dundas events) cause major detours.
- Next reported item
- None listed
Regional highway watch
Useful for getting to Toronto, but separated from the downtown-first view.
- Closure todayHighway
Highway 401
Ontario's busiest highway and the northern boundary of Toronto's expressway grid.
- Typical worst times
- Eastbound 7–10am into Toronto, westbound 3–7pm out of Toronto. Saturday afternoons in summer are also heavy.
- Next reported item
- In 3 days · Sun, Jun 14 at 10:00 PM to Wed, Jun 17 at 6:00 AM
- Road impact todayHighway
Highway 427
Toronto's western expressway connecting Pearson Airport to the QEW and the 401.
- Typical worst times
- Northbound 4–7pm weekdays, southbound 6–9am weekdays. Heavy Sunday evening southbound traffic from cottage returnees.
- Next reported item
- In 3 days · Sun, Jun 14 at 10:00 PM to Sat, Jun 20 at 5:00 AM
- Road impact todayHighway
Highway 409
Highway 409 connects Highway 401 to Pearson International Airport via the 427.
- Typical worst times
- Eastbound 6–8am from the airport; westbound 4–7pm into the airport.
- Next reported item
- In 3 days · Sun, Jun 14 at 10:00 PM to Sat, Jun 20 at 5:00 AM
- Road impact todayHighway
Highway 400
Toronto's main route to cottage country, running north from the 401 toward Barrie.
- Typical worst times
- Friday afternoons northbound and Sunday evenings southbound, especially May–October.
- Next reported item
- None listed
- Road impact todayHighway
Highway 404
Toronto's northeast expressway extending the DVP north from the 401 to East Gwillimbury.
- Typical worst times
- Southbound 7–9am into Toronto, northbound 4–7pm out of Toronto.
- Next reported item
- None listed
- Road impact todayHighway
Queen Elizabeth Way
The Queen Elizabeth Way connects Toronto to Niagara via Mississauga, Oakville, Burlington, and Hamilton.
- Typical worst times
- Toronto-bound 6–9am weekdays into the city, Niagara-bound 3–7pm weekdays out. Summer weekends are heavy in both directions.
- Next reported item
- None listed
- No active itemHighway
Highway 403
Highway 403 runs from Mississauga through Oakville and Hamilton to Woodstock, paralleling the QEW for part of its length.
- Typical worst times
- Eastbound 7–9am into Mississauga and Toronto, westbound 4–7pm.
- Next reported item
- None listed
- No active itemHighway
Highway 407 ETR
Toronto's tolled bypass running across the top of the GTA from Burlington to Brougham.
- Typical worst times
- Heavy weekday peaks in both directions but typically less congested than the parallel 401.
- Next reported item
- None listed
- No active itemHighway
Highway 410
Highway 410 connects Brampton north of the 401 to Caledon, feeding traffic into the 401 westbound corridor.
- Typical worst times
- Southbound 6–9am into Brampton and the 401, northbound 4–7pm.
- Next reported item
- None listed
- No active itemHighway
Highway 412
Highway 412 is a tolled connector linking the 401 to the 407 in Whitby.
- Typical worst times
- No typical window listed.
- Next reported item
- None listed
- No active itemHighway
Highway 418
Highway 418 is a tolled connector linking the 401 to the 407 in Bowmanville and Clarington.
- Typical worst times
- No typical window listed.
- Next reported item
- None listed