cityscape
The Intersection of Spadina Avenue and King Street is Closed for Two Weeks
TTC track work is expected to keep the intersection closed until August 20.
Evening commuters, take note: if your preferred route of travel takes you through the intersection of Spadina Avenue and King Street, you need to start thinking about alternatives. As of 10 a.m. this morning, the entire intersection—that is, all four ways—is scheduled to be closed to vehicle traffic.
The reason for the closure, naturally, is TTC track work. Just like last year’s two-week closure at Spadina Avenue and Queen Street, the aim of this shutdown is to give construction crews the time and space they need to repair and upgrade streetcar tracks. It’s complex work, in part because these intersections are some of the only ones in the city where streetcars need to be able to turn in all eight possible directions.
As a result of the closure, all the public transit routes that pass through the intersection are going to have some temporary changes. The TTC says 504 King and 508 Lakeshore streetcars will be diverted to Queen Street. (Riders will be able to catch those streetcars at Queen and Osgoode subway stations.) The 510 Spadina streetcar, will, once again, be taken out of service temporarily. In its place, the TTC will be running buses from Spadina Station to Queen’s Quay.
The construction is expected to be finished by 6 a.m. on August 20. Even after it’s done, Spadina streetcar service won’t be back to normal. Streetcars will run to just north of King Street, and buses will continue to serve the southern part of the route.