Getting around downtown this weekend may prove to be a headache if people don’t plan their commutes in advance.
The 23rd annual Sporting Life 10K will take place this Sunday starting at 7:30 a.m. and along with the thousands of participants — in addition to other local events and construction — comes major road closures.
The event has raised more than $1.2 million this year for non-profit Campfire Circle for children and families that have been affected by childhood cancer or serious illness.
It will host 16,000 participants this year and has sold out, says the company.
But the run’s road closures won’t be the only contribution to commuter chaos this weekend in the always-busy downtown Toronto corridor. Here are other event and construction-related road closures this weekend.
Sporting Life 10K road closures
The run on Sunday is mostly downhill on Yonge Street, starting at Davisville Avenue and finishing at Lakeshore Boulevard by the Exhibition Place and Ontario Place.
Yonge street will be closed:
While York Boulevard and Spadina Avenue will remain open to access and cross Lake Shore Boulevard West, road closures in place on Lake Shore Boulevard West include:
Other road closures from 7 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. include:
Leafs Game 5 in second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are facing off against the Florida Panthers in Game 5 on Friday and the tailgate viewing party likely won’t be any smaller this weekend.
The MLSE expanded the viewing party area for fans when the Leafs entered the second round as of May 1 to include an additional viewing zone. The extension runs on Bremner Boulevard from York Street to Lower Simcoe Street for fans to watch the games live on big screens.
TTC service changes this weekend
TTC bus routes will also be diverted in these areas on Sunday. The transit agency announced a number of service changes for Saturday as well to accommodate for service work, including no subway service between York Mills and Bloor-Yonge Stations on Saturday with shuttle buses available on those routes.
These closures are in addition to the long-term closures at the intersection of Queen and Yonge Streets for Ontario Line construction that began on May 1 for what is supposed to take four and a half years. Metrolinx, the provincial transit agency in charge of the project, said the busy thoroughfare would be closed to cars, trucks and streetcars between Victoria and Bay Streets.
Commuters can check for live service updates and adjustments on the transit agency’s Twitter or website.
Other Toronto events causing road closures
The University of Toronto’s Science Rendezvous will take place on Saturday from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Road closures along St. George Street will start from Harbord Street to College Street, as well as closures on Ursula Franklin Street from Huron Street to St. George Street.
Toronto Metropolitan University’s Science Rendezvous will also take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Gould Street near Victoria Street will be closed in that time period.
Closures on Crawford Street from College Street to Branca Gomes Lane will also be in place on May 13 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the Portuguese Walk of Fame.
Elm Street will be closed from University Avenue to Elizabeth Street from 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. for Meagan’s Hug.
Construction-related road closures
The westbound lanes on Pottery Road from Broadview to Bayview Avenues will be closed on Friday at 8 p.m. until Monday at 6 a.m. for bridge rehabilitation.
Markham Road at Highway 401 will be closed on Saturday at 10 p.m. until Sunday at 10 a.m. for the transportation ministry to remove a part of the highway’s bridge deck. Southbound traffic to access Highway 401 eastbound will be detoured to Markham Road’s northbound on-ramp via Progress Avenue. Northbound drivers planning to access Highway 401 westbound will be detoured to Markham Road’s southbound on-ramp via Progress Avenue.
As well on Saturday starting at 7 a.m. until Sunday at 7 p.m., Peter Street will be closed from Richmond Street West to Queen Street West for the city to dismantle a tower crane.
Bloor Street West near Dovercourt Road will have reduced lanes on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for a crane hoist.
Lake Shore Boulevard West from Rees Street to Spadina Avenue will continue seeing reduced lanes down to two until May 31, 2024 for Enwave construction to expand the Deep Lake Water Cooling system.
Correction — May 12, 2023: A previous version of this article erroneously referred to the Sporting Life 10K as a marathon. It is billed as a running/walking event.
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