Toronto commuters and downtown residents are facing an earlier-than-expected traffic disruption at one of the city’s busiest intersections. The planned full closure of King Street East and Church Street — originally scheduled for July — began instead on Monday, June 2, due to unforeseen underground utility issues that forced the City and TTC to accelerate the timeline of a major infrastructure overhaul.
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What’s Being Done at King and Church?
Dual Projects: Streetcar Track Replacement and Watermain Renewal
The intersection is undergoing a complex and essential project involving the replacement of aging streetcar tracks and century-old watermains. These updates are part of a broader infrastructure renewal initiative aimed at modernizing vital public services in the downtown core.
While the preliminary stages of the work began in May, the original plan was to maintain partial access — keeping at least one lane open in each direction — until a full closure commenced in July.
However, things changed rapidly when crews encountered complications with underground utilities beneath the south side of King Street.
Why the Schedule Changed
Hidden Utility Conflicts Prompt Immediate Action
According to a recent construction update from the City, crews ran into unexpected utility conflicts that required a shift in the original construction approach. A portion of the 142-year-old watermain, initially set for full replacement, will now be relined instead — a solution that extends the pipe’s life without full excavation.
“To avoid delays to the project schedule, crews will complete watermain work and advance streetcar track replacement at the same time,” the City’s notice stated, explaining the reasoning behind the earlier and more disruptive full intersection closure.
How This Impacts You
Transit Diversions and Increased Congestion
The sudden timeline shift is already causing ripple effects across downtown traffic flow. Several TTC streetcar routes have been diverted, and drivers are being forced to take alternate routes around the closure. The intersection, which serves as a key hub for commuters, is now fully barricaded to vehicle traffic for the duration of the work.
Timeline for Completion Has Been Moved Up
The silver lining? With crews now working on both the watermain and streetcar infrastructure simultaneously, the full project is expected to be completed ahead of the original schedule. The fourth and final phase — including the installation of new streetcar rails and the rebuilding of sidewalks — is now slated for completion by mid-August instead of early September.
Looking Ahead: Will This Intersection Be Dug Up Again?
Temporary Fixes Raise Long-Term Questions
While the current work is expected to significantly improve transit reliability and pedestrian safety, the fact that some of the aging watermain infrastructure is only being relined — not fully replaced — raises concerns. It’s likely that a more extensive renewal will be needed in the years ahead, possibly requiring another round of closures and disruptions at King and Church.
For now, commuters will need to plan ahead and prepare for traffic snarls as Toronto pushes forward with much-needed — but inevitably inconvenient — infrastructure upgrades.
