Warmer spring temperatures in Toronto mean road repairs have shifted into a higher gear. However, the full weekend closure of the Don Valley Parkway for pothole repairs and repaving has created a traffic nightmare for families with plans across the city, according to Beaches–East York Councillor Brad Bradford, a mayoral hopeful.
Bradford Calls for Overhaul of Road Repair Schedule
Bradford wants Mayor Olivia Chow to revamp the city's roadway repair schedule, which already saw the Gardiner Expressway closed from the Humber River to Spadina Avenue in late April. The upcoming DVP closure from Highway 401 to the Gardiner, from Friday night until Monday morning, is set to disrupt Mother's Day weekend plans for thousands of Toronto families.
“Critical maintenance is one thing, but scheduling a full closure of one of this city’s busiest highways over an entire weekend shows just how out of touch this administration is with the people who actually drive cars,” Bradford said in a statement. “Torontonians have places to be, and a mayor who was paying attention would know that. Mayor Chow should stop making people pay for your failure to plan.”
Impact on Major Events
Bradford noted that the closure will affect 193,000 people traveling to events such as the Blue Jays series against the Los Angeles Angels, a Toronto FC match against Inter Miami, a WNBA Tempo game, and the Sporting Life 10K run. He suggested that the repairs could have been scheduled for the following weekend, when those teams are out of town.
City's Congestion Management Plan
In late March, Chow, Councillor Paula Fletcher, and newly appointed Chief Congestion Officer Andrew Posluns outlined progress on the city's congestion management plan. They reported that construction-related road closures were reduced by an average of 2.4 days, and more than 100 traffic agents are stationed at key intersections to improve flow and prevent gridlock.
“Toronto continues to grow, and we are taking a co-ordinated, city-wide approach to keep people moving,” Chow said. “By bringing construction, transit, and traffic management together, we are reducing disruptions, improving reliability, and delivering faster, more predictable trips across the city.”
Last weekend, Chow appeared at a World Cup event to launch the city's second annual Keep Toronto Beautiful campaign, which includes pothole repairs and street sweeping ahead of next month's soccer tournament.
Bradford's Top 10 'Traffic From Hell' List
Despite these efforts, Bradford argued that past road and lane closures have negatively affected traffic, causing congestion and frustrating residents. He issued a top 10 list of previous disruptions, including the DVP's Richmond Street off-ramp closure from October 2025 to spring 2026, lane reductions on the Gardiner from Dufferin Street to Strachan Avenue, Ontario Line subway construction disruptions, Yonge Street's redesign narrowing the roadway, Bloor Street bike lanes extending into Etobicoke, the Esplanade bikeway construction, and gridlock along King Street.
“Torontonians are tired of congestion, crime and the high cost of living,” Bradford said. “Mayor Chow – for a change, give us a top 10 list we can actually be proud of.”
