The Waterfront Revitalization Corporation(TWRC) has announced that the lower section of the Don River Trail from Queen Street to the Martin Goodman Trail will be closed from the end of February 2006 to the spring of 2007. This extended closure will allow work to proceed on a flood protection berm along the Don River. This is being done in conjunction with site preparation new West Don Lands community which will be in the area from the Don River west to Parliament Street and between King Street and the rail corridor that runs just north of Lake Shore Blvd. The you can see the full announcement from the TWRC web site WORK IN WEST DON LANDS STARTING Some Road Closures Required

This will cause problems for cyclists wanting to connect from the Martin Goodman Trail or Lake Shore Path to the more northern sections of the Don Trail. There will be signs installed at various locations on Bikeway routes leading to the area notifying cyclists of the closure and identifying some alternate routing.

So that is the pain, what is the gain? One improvement of the Don Trail in that area that is part of the work on the rail bridge crossing the Don River will include the widening of the underpass under the rail bridge. If you have ridden on the Don Trail you know it. The path dips steeply and around those yellow steel gates to a steel deck that brings you under the rail bridge. After you traverse that you are faced with the steep uphill ride around another set of yellow steel gates. It is a technical bit of cycling to get through can be a bottleneck on the trail. The new underpass will be wider and hopefully easier to navigate.

The West Don Lands Precinct Plan contains the above Bike and Pedestrian Plan showing bike paths in green and on street bike lanes in red. The link from the Don Trail, under the rail corridor, to the park is shown. You can download the West Don Lands Precinct Plan(PDF) see the full diagram and description starting on page 25. (Click the image to see a larger view of the picture.)

Another improvement will be a tunnel under the GO Transit Bala rail line that the Don trail runs along. This will accomodate a trail that will connect the Don Trail to the Don River Park, that is planned for the West Don lands area, and then on to Front Street or Mill Street. This new link will allow cyclists access between the Don, Martin Goodman or Lake Shore trails; and the West Don Lands community, the Distillery District, St. Lawrence Market area and beyond. It will also provide a direct link to the existing bike lanes on River Street.

There are other plans for improvements to cycling infrastructure in the area outlined in the West Don Lands Precinct Plan(PDF). These will come into being in future years as work on the area progresses. You can find more information on the West Don Lands project from the TWRC web site. TWRC-West Don Lands The flood protection project is a project of the Toronto Region Conservation authority. You can see more information on that here Lower Don River West Remedial Flood Protection Project