Oshawa drivers already contending with a two-year Metrolinx closure of a portion of Simcoe Street for GO train expansion are now facing additional road shutdowns as the province accelerates Highway 401 overpass replacement work that will create a traffic nightmare lasting well into 2027.
The Ontario Ministry of Transportation confirmed this week that Cubert Street will close starting Monday, June 9, while Park Road — from Bloor Street to College Avenue — will shut down to all traffic beginning July 13. A weekend closure of Park Road is also scheduled for June 27 to 28.
The work involves replacing aging Highway 401 overpass structures at both locations as part of the broader highway rehabilitation and widening project. The closures are expected to remain in place until the fall of 2027, roughly 16 months of disruption for residents and commuters in the area.
Cubert Street serves as an important secondary road connecting Bloor Street to the residential neighbourhood to the north. Park Road is a major connection route to the GM Assembly plant and other employment areas, making both closures particularly impactful during weekday commuting hours.
Lane reductions on Bloor Street may also occur periodically to accommodate the construction activities, adding another layer of congestion to an already strained local road network.
The timeline was originally scheduled for next year but has been moved up, catching city officials off guard. In an email to Oshawa councillors, the Ministry of Transportation stated the acceleration was necessary to keep the overall Highway 401 widening program on schedule.
Oshawa Councillor Brian Nicholson did not mince words about the impact on residents. The nightmare continues and neither MTO nor Metrolinx has any concern about how their decisions impact our city and its residents, Nicholson said. It is time for Premier Ford and his government to step in and stop this assault on our community.
Nicholson noted that city staff are working with the ministry to establish detour routes for both vehicle and pedestrian traffic during the extended shutdown period. However, he expressed frustration that the province failed to proactively communicate the changes.
While I appreciate staff reaching out to get more information on the provincial disruptions in our community, once again we are being told, not asked, Nicholson said. It is my view that had we not asked our staff to reach out, neither MTO nor Metrolinx would have told us anything until the roads closed.
The new closures compound an already difficult traffic situation in Oshawa. The Wilson Road overpass replacement has forced the full closure of Wilson from Dieppe Avenue to Bloor Street until late spring of 2027. Combined with the ongoing Simcoe Street work and now the Cubert and Park Road shutdowns, large swaths of the city north of Highway 401 will experience significant access restrictions for the foreseeable future.
The ministry plans to provide advance notice through variable message boards, road signage, the Ontario 511 website, and flyers distributed to affected property owners. Nicholson is encouraging frustrated residents to contact the Premier’s office directly to express their concerns about the cumulative impact of these concurrent infrastructure projects.
