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Toronto

Busy downtown Toronto intersection to be closed for the rest of the week to make way for repairs: TTC

By Phil Tsekouras and Alex Arsenych
Major streetcar routes are down after a garbage truck damaged overhead TTC wires at King and Spadina.

A busy downtown Toronto intersection is set to stay closed for the remainder of the week to make way for around-the-clock repairs after a garbage truck downed overhead wires on Tuesday morning, snarling streetcar service along several routes as well as drivers heading toward the Gardiner Expressway.

The intersection of King Street and Spadina Avenue was shut down at approximately 8:15 a.m. after a truck made contact with the overhead wires, which provide power to the streetcar network.

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In a release on Tuesday afternoon, the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) said it is assigning all available resources to “maintain a 24-hour operation until the repairs are complete and streetcar service is restored.”

“Engineers are currently assessing infrastructure including power poles to ensure their integrity, and crews are working to repair salvageable wires, installing and configuring new wires, and ensuring breakers and other power systems are operational before testing the system for safe operations,” the transit agency said.

Repair work at King and Spadina Repair work continues on King Street West and Spadina Avenue after a truck downed the power lines in the area.

To make way for repair work, the TTC says streetcar routes will be diverted. King Street will remain blocked off in both directions between Brant and Charlotte streets while Spadina Avenue will be completely closed from Front and Adelaide streets.

The transit agency says “several routes” will be diverted for the rest of the week, including 504 King, 508 Lake Shore, and 510 Spadina. The TTC encourages commuters impacted by these diversions to use Queen or Bathurst streets to hop aboard the streetcar, while Wheel-Trans customers can request door-to-door service as needed.

No injuries were reported from the morning’s collision, but police said live wires did fall to the ground after they became entangled with the vehicle.

It remains unclear how exactly the wires were damaged, but images from the scene appeared to show the garbage truck with its loader in the raised position.