The Gardiner ExpressWay Eastbound Ramp Demolition

Watch Priestly Demolition do the unthinkable-and take down the entire Gardiner Expressway Eastbound Ramp in just 5 weekends. This is a fresh new look at the masters of bridge demolition. See drone footage, time-lapse video, and project highlights of this rapid demo from the PDI team, plus a behind the scenes look at how this project plan comes together, and the people who make it happen.

[@ResidentialCentersofAmerica]

Great idea for the metal ramps vs dumping onto the roadways like done so many times here in the States...Great job!

[@mrdando]

Loved how you used the excavators that had the metal slopes on the top to redirect the rubble

[@PriestlyDemolitionInc]

The Deflector Shields worked out very well. Check us out on FB/ IG/ LK or TikTok for more short videos from the project.

[@coopermeshew4298]

Yeah. I’d love to learn more information about those. Never seen those before.

[@TomGuimond]

@@PriestlyDemolitionInc Combien excavatrice au total

[@buaboy]

Awesome to see a longer video!

[@PriestlyDemolitionInc]

Hope you enjoyed it!

[@andrewc8200]

Cool to watch. Y'all did it so quick and efficiently, companies down here in the states would take 5yrs to do the same

[@nkfd4688]

Better for it to be demolished than to have more pieces of it falling off onto cars or people. Good work!

[@umpireoba]

Great to see the pride the whole crew takes in the job!

[@tinkermouse-scottrussell3738]

Awesome team effort, your biggest asset is your workers. Thank You for taking the time to share this project with us. Play safe from Elliot Lake Ontario. Canada.

[@PriestlyDemolitionInc]

Nice to hear from you in Elliott Lake.

[@SJR_Media_Group]

Love their work ethic, do whatever it takes to Safely get it done on time and on budget. Giant projects requires giant commitment from Demolition Contractor. Priestly is amazing.

[@PriestlyDemolitionInc]

Thank you Steven

[@-First-Last]

Why are you kissing their rear ???

[@SJR_Media_Group]

@@-First-Last LOL - all part of a bigger plan. Sometimes Satire can get through when facts and data can't. I seem to attract people with far different views. This post is one of about a half dozen others that still bring out 'different' points of view. UFO's, Urban Legends, Flat Earth, Religion, Politics, Mega Projects, Cultures, are topics that one must tread lightly. ET and Bigfoot told me to cool it with facts and data.

[@-First-Last]

@@SJR_Media_Group Suuuuure .... What's your position in their company though ? More likely in office. It's not nice to call your bosses, ET and Big foot. You might get in trouble, who knows, maybe fired. Cheers !

[@SJR_Media_Group]

@@-First-Last Thanks for your concern. I do have to watch my backside. Bad enough working for ET and Bigfoot, but their cousins (Vampires and Werewolves) are a pain in the neck and a pain in the rear (end). My position is standing while the other guys slack off and sleep in coffins.

[@RockBrigadeCommunityForum]

Amazing Projects. You make the impossible look easy.

[@MikeT-TheRetiredColonel]

Awesome seeing new content from you folks! Good on you, Russell, for following in your family's footsteps instead of sitting in front of a gaming console

[@justjoe942]

When a team works well together it's a mesmerizing ballet. No oversteps, no congestion, no time delays: I would imagine someone earned a bonus.

[@jockyboy9606]

notice Priestly didnt respond to this ... They dont give out bonuses they give out paycheques.. Bonuses go out to Family ffs \

[@djmips]

Those custom mobile articulated debris shields at 1:06 are really neat!

[@strobelightbrian]

Always look forward to a PDI video! Love the length and detail you go into!

[@PriestlyDemolitionInc]

Thank you

[@stephaneracicot791]

you guys came to my little town of smoothrockfalls ontario to dismantle our mill it had to go the best company to do it was you guys i was walleye fishing just below the dam watching you guy demolish the mill way back in 07 i think anyways good video great work with all the union brothers out there.b safe

[@jeanmi974caterpillar3]

super video,bon job ,bravo a toute l 'équipe,salutation France..

[@PriestlyDemolitionInc]

Than you, nice to her from friends in France.

[@TheducksOrg]

Greetings from a Canadian in Perth Australia! Fun to watch the video, great to hear the accents again! Stay safe.

[@PriestlyDemolitionInc]

G'day - great to hear from friends in Aussie.

[@smokinsandwhiches]

Loved going by this to see the process and progress in action 🎬 great job everyone involved on this project

[@PriestlyDemolitionInc]

Awesome... thanks!

[@Barrenchats]

Cool last time I was in T.O. I ripped the Gardner, and Young Street on a bright yellow enduro, I live out west so thanks for a bit of memories, look AMAZING

[@roadking25]

Awesome video PDI at its best

[@PriestlyDemolitionInc]

Thanks!

[@95thousandroses]

WELL DONE! oh and the bridge demolition was pretty good too!

[@Sandkei]

Looks like a very professional team of people.

[@grahamsmith6474]

What an amazing company. Proud to call themselves Canadian. Way to go Priestly group.

[@PriestlyDemolitionInc]

Thanks Graham

[@gh4121-b5n]

Always enjoy the show. Can hardly wait for the new season.

[@10lauset]

Interesting to see my past finally changing (I'm 72) and hopefully get to see a new future. ... Cheers...

[@markreetz1001]

Great video. Always fun seeing the fleet out there working.

[@PriestlyDemolitionInc]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@wilfredogr]

I really like how this project was done, key things like order, organization, coordination, precision, and the most important communication. Congratulations.

[@PriestlyDemolitionInc]

Thank you Wilfredo

[@ADSC2006]

Awesome work.

[@andycrawford8689]

Awesome job y'all did and it went as planned to love watching the videos keep on making them and I'll keep on watching them be safe and always be careful

[@PriestlyDemolitionInc]

Thanks Andy

[@deb-deb17]

Loved this. How exciting!

[@robertgentile6799]

Nice job crew 👍niw that’s some incredible demonstration of experienced crews

[@joelchils]

Nice work!

[@paulbetka2966]

💪🏻 💪🏻 🇨🇦 NICE TO SEE A NEW VIDEO 📸👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻😍😘✝️🙏🏻🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻

[@iamReddington]

Momina is gorgeous! I got to witness the opposite of this for the last year years. We had a new bridge being built and it was fun to watch.

[@SAMScaffolding]

Another brilliant video from the Priestley team, great work I love following your company and seeing the work you do, from Rye Demolition in the UK 🇬🇧 👍

[@PriestlyDemolitionInc]

Nice to hear from you - and thank you!

[@davidstewart8081]

Great vid! Watched you guys doing your stuff on the Victoria street bridge in Kitchener. Wam bam and gone. Impressive!

[@PriestlyDemolitionInc]

Thank you David

[@PacoOtis]

Thanks for sharing and it is great to see such professional work taking place. You might want to ponder having the intrusive music. Best of luck!

[@dashcamexplorationuk1692]

In the UK we call a ramp a sliproad Also loving your video

[@puirYorick]

My GPS sexiest voice option is an English RP female but she kept telling me to take a "sliproad" so I had to switch back to the standard Garmin robotic voice. 🙂

[@jacksonmacd]

@@puirYorick we named her Mimi

[@paulwalters7984]

Impressive work guys 👍

[@SGrepo71]

IUOE gets it done!

[@tippo5341]

Another great project undertaken and completed by PDI...love seeing the next generation of Priestly's getting involved as well...a true family business!!!! Loved seeing the adaptation of the excavators into protection & guides for the rubble from the deck demo above...ingenuity at its finest...which is something that stands out in a lot of the PDI projects...ingenuity and adaptation...brilliant and what seemingly sets PDI apart from others within the industry!!!! Should I ever move back to Canada...would certainly be looking to work with such a professional company as Priestly's are!!!! Cheers from Aus and keep up the great work!!!! Happy New Year by the way 😁😁😁😁 and all the best wishes for a prosperous & safe 2022!!!!

[@timk.3286]

Great Video!!! its nice to see the process. I drive down that way almost every night hitting up Redpath at 4am. Great Job PDI crew and have a Happy New Year!!!!

[@PriestlyDemolitionInc]

Thanks 👍

[@pnwRC.]

This would be an AWESOME project to replicate with our RC equipment, IF we can get our demo hammer to function properly on our 14th scale RC equipment!

[@justmewill1]

nice to see how you also use modern techniques as quick oil exchange pieces will make a lot of differences

[@ianpotter2128]

I grew up not far from the expressway and is it ever weird not seeing the on/off ramp.

[@GoldsConcrete]

We love ourselves a good and well executed demo !

[@cprgreaves]

This would be a good video if the volume of the music did not conflict with the volume of the engineers' explanations. I gave up after two minutes.

[@AWSmith1955]

Agreed, music too loud, Its a construction project not a rock concert.

[@RonP51]

Toronto's lakefront is an eyesore. They should take Chicago's ideas they have a beautiful lake front

[@nickcouto592]

This makes getting around the city hell.

[@brettlessard2532]

no better time to get used to it than now!

[@MrSaemichlaus]

I've never seen those excavators with chutes mounted on them. Creative idea!

[@MrSaemichlaus]

@R L Pipeline work uses highly specialized equipment too. I would love to design these.

[@spankeyguitars8457]

if only that bridge could talk...the stories it would tell...so much 'substances' transported over its lifetime..lol

[@mikemayer4303]

Co ordination of work skills always works well especially in big jobs like this , everyone clued in to their respective job .

[@martybates9728]

what kind of mess is left for the traffic, hate to see what the plan is from the city

[@thesillypig785]

Unthinkable? That doesn't exist in the world of engineering. With the right planning, equipment and manpower anything is possible.

[@PriestlyDemolitionInc]

Absolutely agree - with this project it was more about the speed of which we took it down, and cleaned it up that made the project a challenge. Our engineers did an amazing job of ensuring we had the right equipment in the right place, and that the demo was done in the safest way possible.

[@Runehorn]

Great video! Also I very much appreciate the lowering of the music when people are talking!

[@raybin6873]

More of a music video than a demolition documentary.

[@leopoldpoppenberger8692]

I remember Lakeshore all clogged up traffic hardly moved back in the 60s and than things got running well when the Gardner Express Way was done -Lived at Indian Grove High Park area

[@chrischupp9760]

Good video at first I thought it was in the U.S. part of the infrastructure deal

[@yashkotadiya3385]

Why the 3D modelling analysis was needed in demolition? A 2d modelling or a frame analysis will also help, i guess. But that was a great piece of information. You got a new subscriber!!!!

[@bashira1234]

This kind of demolition and upgrading of highways in US was done 50 years ago. Glad Canadians are catching up.

[@ryanaustin1970]

Loved seeing a longer video, amazing work . They need to do a big dig like Boston did then tear the rest of that shit hwy down lol cheers .

[@tomrogers9467]

Nice idea, but this is Ontario where nothing gets built, and if it does, like the 407 it’s given away to private enterprise and no one can afford to drive on it!

[@Sophie-go3ql]

Perfect team, perfect planning & execution, amazing equipment and skilled operators, excellent "video" but absolutely terrible "audio", the choice of music and loudness has destroyed everything.

[@alexmcgovern2983]

Aww want some cheese with that whine..

[@philiphorner31]

All the Big Shots got to stand around with their flunkies and look important.

[@waynemartin6841]

In New South Wales it would take us longer than 5 months, let alone 5 weekends, to work out what name to call this project.

[@michaelhoran407]

Where do they dispose of the demolished bridge, concrete and rebar? 😢

[@farmhandluke5182]

Excellent work! Job well done! That was a massive amount of concrete to hammer! Did you have to replace any hammers on the track hoes? Or did they all hold up under all that use? The amount of rebar and tonnage of steel beams was unreal, were the steel beams all scrapped ? Thanks for sharing your work with this video! Hope you do more longer videos in the future! 👍👋

[@PriestlyDemolitionInc]

Thank you Luke - I will look into your questions and get back to you.

[@MetaView7]

This makes as much sense as cutting off your feet so that you don't have to buy a bigger pair of shoes.

[@unitedurbanwarriorsociety8286]

Look up the Alaska way viaduct in Seattle. same as this if not bigger.

[@ryanb7476]

if only the builders were as fast as you guys!

[@crohunter100]

Wait til you guys have to demolish the next section...

[@civilengineeringfromgoldme3074]

Good 👍👍

[@fredferd965]

This is the first time I've seen any video in this series. I've looked at it, and I still don't know what city this is!!!!

[@PriestlyDemolitionInc]

Good point, filmed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

[@jacksonmacd]

@@PriestlyDemolitionInc took me a while to figure out out

[@craigwads]

Interesting video, music? Not so much. The work is interesting enough to nix the music. If you have to have the music lower the levels against the speaking. I was adjusting up and down so I wasn’t turned off by the music but wanted to hear the speaking.

[@PriestlyDemolitionInc]

Thank you for the feedback - noted for next time.

[@gordbaker896]

Hopefully the ramp will be rebuilt wider and better.

[@mfranzusan3014]

If Toronto gets its way, the Gardiner will be eliminated altogether. Former mayor Rob Ford considered it a blight on the landscape that prevented people from seeing the lake. Unfortunately, he forgot about the Condos that are 3 times the height of the raised highway and completely obscure any view of lake Ontario

[@gordbaker896]

@@mfranzusan3014 That is ridiculous. The Expressways are main traffic arteries and desperately needed in good repair.

[@mfranzusan3014]

@@gordbaker896 I agree. It doesn't mean that's not what war planned

[@hotsurfer11]

I watched ur guys show Salvage Kings said it never renewed after the 2nd season

[@steveanderson4768]

I wonder how much Planning actual timeline on planning it took two set everything up figure out what equipment did you need it out there staggering just the amount of fuel they used out there

[@pushysix]

🙌

[@fragglerock5000]

Cool video👍👍👍 what was that big deep hole that I saw ?? Sewer or ??

[@nolanxuereb2914]

hope you get the contract for the rest of the ugly thing soon

[@joeldelamirande5792]

Why did they closed that section on Lakeshore

[@carlnewman24]

Music is way too loud

[@Kevin19700]

Was this a 24/7 job over the weekend? Great work!

[@PriestlyDemolitionInc]

Yes we ran a day crew, and night crew over the 5 weekends. Approx. 9375 hours.

[@BrianB14471]

Your description doesn't say where this was.

[@mwnciboo]

I wonder how much scrap value they got for the steel!

[@kcole7839]

let's take what could be an interesting video and add really annoying music.

[@secret222]

what year did you have to travel back to in order to find this music

[@slipperyjim1497]

The video feels like a Reality TV show. Was expecting them to have "challenges" and fake obstacles to create drama.

[@thesillypig785]

The challenges do happen. But they get dealt with, without drama. It also helps there's no overdramatic music in the real world :)

[@davidhead5943]

Do y'all recycle everything ? Great job y'all !

[@PriestlyDemolitionInc]

100% recycled.

[@jeffreygosselin7576]

So is the Gardiner Expressway going to be rebuilt?

[@robertmailhos8159]

London bridge,s falling down but this is happening in Canada

[@cuppajoesugar]

Why does the music sound like it was scored by a Ford commercial?

[@31xrg]

Fast and efficient. Shame it’s not being torn down to Jarvis.

[@Kapparie]

It's always fun watching things getting demolisched. But what is the reason for this demolition? Is the bridge obsolete?

[@lookingthroughice7843]

No the bridge was fine, but Toronto is obsolete, they're making room for more condo towers and buggering up traffic flow. Toronto is anti car, they want you to take public transit or bicycles.

[@Sophie-go3ql]

The "bridge" is actually a section of the Gardiner expressway. This expressway together with the the Don Valley Parkway are the two "arteries" that keep Toronto alive. They are not obsolete, The developers convinced the politicians that "arteries" are not required to sustain life, and that condos that obstruct the view of the lake are more important.

[@PriestlyDemolitionInc]

This is just part of a much bigger flood prevention plan in the city. If you search Waterfront Toronto Flood Prevention you will see the overall plan.

[@lookingthroughice7843]

@@PriestlyDemolitionInc if the Politicos of Toronto want flood prevention they should stop building all those condo towers just for starters . Then the Politicos should get those lazy ass Union city workers to start cleaning that cesspool Toronto so that debris such as plastics and broken tree branches won't get blown into the Don river . That would help it flow better. Im going to laugh when the funding for this massive job runs out or goes so far over budget that it will be just another failed project like so many others Toronto projects.

[@ketch_up]

Beautiful work, one day we'll demolish every freeway and end the dark ages of private vehicle ownership!

[@tomrogers9467]

Obviously you’ve never had to use TTC to get anywhere in the outskirts of TO.

[@larryehrlich57]

The title should include a location. I had to look up the expressway's name to find the location...why?

[@tpep1693]

Love seeing no one wearing a STUPID MASK!

[@62Cristoforo]

Obviously, no job goes perfectly smoothly. I wonder what hurdles or unexpected roadblocks these guys encountered during the teardown?

[@WebVid]

So impressive! Now please take down the rest of this awful eyesore.

[@neilmoryson]

Toronto really does hate drivers and cars. It's a very strange city. I still can't figure it out after living there for 8 years, lol.

[@brettlessard2532]

Council took a vote, most people voted to demolish. It was more about the costs vs benefits of maintaining the thing

[@mejw1]

why did they tear it down? now it seems like its just street level and stopping at Lights compared to driving right through. is something else going to be built?

[@PriestlyDemolitionInc]

It is part of a much larger flood prevention plan for the city. If you look up Waterfront Toronto Flood Prevention you can view the whole plan.

[@Ziggerzzz]

Would be better without the silly music