Infrastructure Contractors Call for Better Construction Practices to Reduce Toronto Traffic Congestion

The Toronto and Area Road Builders Association (TARBA), the Greater Toronto Sewer and Watermain Contractors Association (GTSWCA), and the Heavy Construction Association of Toronto (HCAT) are all calling on the City of Toronto to improve practices to speed up project timelines, as well as reduce traffic congestion and overall costs.

“We are still using infrastructure that was put in place by our grandparents, and we are now seeing the impacts of underinvestment from past decades with this summer’s flooding and ongoing lack of affordable housing,” said Patrick McManus, executive director of GTSWCA. “With Toronto’s continued growth and changing climate, delaying investments and halting construction is not an option, and less bureaucratic delays will only help get projects built faster and reduce continued traffic congestion.”

“While lane closures during construction may be seen as a nuisance for commuters and local businesses, they are crucial safety features in construction work zones that protect both workers and the public and allow space for essential equipment and waste disposal,” said Raly Chakarova, executive director at TARBA. “Increasing fees for this necessary safety buffer between active traffic and construction zones will not alleviate congestion, but it will increase building costs for taxpayers.”

TARBA, GTSWCA, and HCAT all propose several solutions. They include tendering and awarding projects to maximize construction season while receiving more competitive pricing, incentivizing project acceleration, empowering decision-making by project managers, improving project coordination and communication with residents, and promoting a culture of innovation.

“The competing priorities of accelerating construction timelines and maintaining acceptable noise levels for city residents make it clear that 24/7 construction has limitations in densely populated areas,” said Peter Smith, executive director at HCAT. “This approach can only be effectively implemented under specific circumstances and must be included in project planning documents at the time of tender so it can be priced accordingly.”