Toronto Freeways - Milton to Downtown Toronto - Hwy 401, 427 and Gardiner Expressway

Drivelapse video starting from Milton near Trafalgar Road along Highway 401 through the construction zone between Milton and Mississauga before entering Toronto (Etobicoke) and heading south on Highway 427 before merging onto the eastbound Gardiner Expressway.

[@JruGordon]

I love the view coming into Toronto on the Gardiner.

[@sbclaridge]

That view is so awe-inspiring. The closest thing we have here in Texas to something like the Gardiner through downtown Toronto would have to be the I-45 Pierce Elevated in Houston. There's not massive skyscrapers next to the Pierce Elevated, though. That section of the Gardiner reminds me more of something in NYC, or hypothetically Vancouver if there were an expressway that extended into downtown. Fortunately Canada has been more resistant to having freeways cut in or near the downtown areas of large cities. Relative to other provinces, Ontario and Québec seem to have freeways coming closer into their central cities compared to Western Canada and the Atlantic provinces (although NB-1 goes next to downtown Saint John). Toronto only has the Gardiner and the Don Valley Parkway coming into the center of the city, Montréal has QC-136 going under downtown (a spur route, A-10 is also a spur into downtown Montréal), Ottawa has the 417 (A-5 is a spur from the QC side), Hamilton has the 403, St. Catherines has the 406, and Québec City has two disconnected segments of A-440 serving as spurs into the central city. If these Canadian cities were USA cities, I'd suspect there would be more freeways coming into the central cities.

[@CrystalClearWith8BE]

I'm starting to admit that eastbound is more beautiful than westbound and I love the way the CN Tower is still seen and standing there.

[@paulburley7993]

​@@sbclaridge There were at least 3 (maybe 4) major freeways planned to come into central Toronto but they were scrapped due to vociferous public protest. Manhattan had originally planned to criss-cross that borough with a major system of expressways. New Yorkers again were outraged. How wise they were. It would have ruined Manhattan. Vancouver was the other major North American city to say NO! No freeways or expressways.

[@paulburley7993]

In hindsight though they probably should have continued the Gardiner eastward as an expressways through Scarborough connecting to the 401.

[@Project2457official]

I have to go visit Toronto someday because of this video...its just ethereal looking. As a Chicagoan born and raised for 18 years and now someone who lives in the suburbs of Florida seeing those beautiful vistas and skylines would be a welcome site.

[@davidmcclellan9621]

While a motorist drives eastbound on the Gardiner Expressway, the sight of the world-famous CN Tower is absolutely breathtaking 😀😀😀😀😀.

[@ddki9094]

One thing I really like about the Collector/express set up is that you only have to keep track of 3 or 4 lanes instead of 5 or 6 across at a time like say in Atlanta or Los Angeles. Also, you get to choose which one you want to take. It's almost like having two freeways in one.

[@AsphaltPlanet1]

Yeah, apparently having an express/collector setup is more efficient than just having a single wide carriageway. From what I understand, the lane changes that are necessary on really wide roads are detrimental to throughput. Thanks for the comment

[@TransCanadaPhil]

That merge back from the exit lane at 6:28 is pretty crazy too. Looks like some dangerous road conditions at the time. That second music track you played (Seven Cities) has been a favourite of mine for like 20 years in all its various forms and remixes ☺️

[@AsphaltPlanet1]

yeah, I don't think the driver that was trying to queue jump in the exit lane was really counting on someone exiting for Lakeshore using the option lane. I quite dig Seven Cities as well, this isn't my favourite mix of it, but this one worked for this video. Thanks for the comment.

[@arjunsecondary]

here I am, after my daily commute from milton to downtown looking at a video of my commute from milton to downtown lol

[@FreewayAndrewCAN]

Nice work on the video! You are quite lucky that you weren’t involved in that collision! I nearly had something similar happen to me on my commute home from school in March. I was headed west on the 403 through Mississauga. Just as I was passing the Erin Mills Pkwy. Interchange, I was in the rightmost lane and a driver in the middle lane next to me decided to quickly put his flasher on and start moving over without looking, causing me to swerve onto the right shoulder and slam on the horn, nearly crashing myself into a ditch. Scariest moment of my life but luckily he didn’t hit me nor did I crash.

[@AsphaltPlanet1]

You’re lucky that you didn’t find yourself in a collision. Thanks for the comment.

[@crohunter100]

you're a witness, shouldn't you have stayed back?

[@FreewayAndrewCAN]

@@crohunter100 I wasn’t hit thankfully. If I or someone else was hit, I would have pulled over.

[@HAA0603]

i was in toronto about a month ago and i was driving on that same stretch but heading west since my hotel was on hurontario and a black van and a u haul truck nearly collided with each other nearly the same way but the u haul truck was going like 140 so luckily nothing bad happened but very close call

[@HAA0603]

the u haul truck actually tipped over on its two right wheels and it almost went on it’s side

[@briansean]

Love that city. Your videos always rock my world, AP!

[@zainerreyyan105]

This was a rare event to happen on dashcam as a youtuber! 3:51

[@jayiiful]

3:51 woah did not expect that! Also didn't expect you to post on a saturday, what a surprise! Great Video!

[@alexishoude4449]

I didn't expect this too

[@AsphaltPlanet1]

Glad you liked it!

[@tomiangello]

Great Music. Made me nostalgic. Thanks

[@paulburley7993]

It's nice to watch traffic as opposed to driving on the four-oh-fucking-one.

[@FriendlyGuy08]

Gardiner Express leads to Downtown Toronto. Also, the Music is amazing and good Camera Quality. Nice vid!

[@AsphaltPlanet1]

Thank you very much!

[@EdwardW98]

Nothing like new freeway reconstructs with new concrete and asphalt. I should've saved my previous comment for this video: now that view never gets old, the Gardiner Expressway through downtown Toronto. That situation with the pickup and Mercedes is what I hate most about merging into an open middle lane with another vehicle present on the other side. Never know what the other vehicle is going to do. Great job with this video as well!

[@AsphaltPlanet1]

Thanks. I live in Toronto, but I still love driving on the Gardiner.

[@johno5796]

@@AsphaltPlanet1 Driving on the Gardiner Viaduct while seeing the ocean of skysprapers really feels futuristic. It is like driving on the Tokyo Shutoko Expressway in Japan.

[@compdude100]

Yes, I always try and avoid doing that myself because I've had a few close calls in the past. So now I never change lanes into an open lane when there's a vehicle in the lane next to that open lane.

[@thevultrantransituniverse1487]

Another job well done!

[@potatopotato3216]

Great video..thanks for sharing. One question..how long did the drive take?

[@sbclaridge]

3:20 huge freeway near a major international airport... reminds me somewhat of SH-121/SH-114 along the north end of DFW Airport in Grapevine, TX. That said, the 401 came first, as it is an older facility.

[@AsphaltPlanet1]

SH-114/121 near the Grapevine is a pretty rad road as well. Thanks for the comment.

[@alexishoude4449]

XD, I didn't expect a video on a Saturday night

[@AsphaltPlanet1]

Thanks for the comment

[@dontgetlost4078]

That 4Runner had a covered licence plate. That's illegal, isn't it?

[@GreatAussieDrives]

Fantastic video as always. 3:50 yikes...!

[@johncam8420]

I am curious, how have you traveled to so many cities? Do you travel for work or something?

[@kurgerbingsteve]

6:05 That's probably the first time I've ever heard someone call the Skydome the Lid. Not a bad nickname though.

[@SirWilly77]

Sped-up footage always made me anxious that the driver's gonna hit the car in front of them.

[@sheikhrahman5443]

Do you go to these places before you Begin filming?

[@RoadsOfAsiaBen]

I was looking back at this video, what happened to your camera at 3:59?

[@AsphaltPlanet1]

The tripod got knocked.

[@CrystalClearWith8BE]

3:40 Hey, Asphalt Planet, how did you react to the crash scene while on the exit lanes before taking southbound 427? The 3rd Gen Mercedes-Benz C-Class and the GMC Sierra tried to take the 2nd right lane and bumped into each other at the border of Mississauga and Toronto. Also, the Mercedes was guilty for sideswiping the GMC while overtaking the GMC. The GMC have to take the lane first before the Mercedes. I know that Canada have a few bad drivers, but how bad are some drivers in the GTA?

[@crohunter100]

why should the GMC go first? they're 50/50 guilty they didnt check blind spot

[@CrystalClearWith8BE]

@@crohunter100, someone told me after I reply in someone else's comment.

[@Avi4tor_AKA]

3:51 It looks like the pickup truck and the Mercedes crashed (if it did too)

[@schwenda3727]

Exactly how common are rolling gun battles or violent retaliation for calling out any bad driving on Toronto (and other Canadian) highways? I ask because a handful of drivers you passed ON THE RIGHT appear to have RIGHTFULLY earned a🖕pointed their direction for their driving skills; particularly that one genius cutting ALL THE WAY TO THE LEFT IMMEDIATELY AFTER GETTING ON. Or would me doing just that get me immediately reported to the highway patrol with a very swift response time? How else can you drop hints at left lane blockers though?!

[@AsphaltPlanet1]

Road rage is unfortunately not uncommon in Toronto or elsewhere in Canada, however, Canada doesn't really have the same gun culture as the US (thankfully in my opinion), so armed exchanges over lane changes are fairly rare here. There is occasionally gun violence on the highways in and around Toronto but it's usually gang related and fairly targeted in nature.

[@calzac100]

3:51 accident just about to happen

[@zainerreyyan105]

Thank goodness the dashcam was rolling!

[@CrystalClearWith8BE]

So, who's guilty for this, the Mercedes, the GMC or both? Also, who is supposed to take the lane first?

[@CrystalClearWith8BE]

You know, Canada have a few bad drivers. The US have a lot of bad drivers and the worst state for bad drivers is Alabama. Some European countries like Denmark, UK, Switzerland and Germany, just to name a few, have a low rate of traffic-related accidents because some use public transport and/or bicycles. There are a few drivers in those countries though. As I check an image of countries with a number of traffic-related death rate, Africa have a lot of countries with that topic and the most is in Libya.

[@zainerreyyan105]

The Mercedes is guilty because they should've known that the GMC was already signalling, however the GMC didn't had time to lane change due to the vehicle passing until it was clear to enter the lane first before the Mercedes did!

[@calzac100]

GMC was suppose to go first

[@schwenda3727]

Has there ever been proposals/contemplation to make the Gardiner & Don Valley Interchange not only 6 thru lanes but free of left ramps? Much less COMPLETE redesign of the remaining cloverleafs on the Don Valley Parkway itself? Or is it all there to keep what little highway capacity available less efficient than it could be to continually feed the “freeway bad; all car culture bad” narrative that’s all over for all the wrong and even right reasons?

[@CrystalClearWith8BE]

6:05 Speaking of the MLB, the Toronto Blues Jays were up against the Cleveland Guardians (formerly Indians and was renamed in order to avoid offending the Natives) for Game 3 in the Rogers Centre at that time. At the end of Game 3, the Guardians defeated the Blues Jays 7-2.