It's one of the busiest intersections in Toronto, with around 90,000 vehicles passing through on any given day.
So, when you see the intersection of Yonge and Bloor is going to be closed, it raises more than a few eyebrows.
Road closures: Yonge St/ Bloor St E
— Toronto Police OPS (@TPSOperations) April 23, 2019
- intersection is closed for a few hours all directions
- use alternate routes#GO729209@tps52div
^ka
Police later said that the closure was for scheduled pole replacement, but when we checked with the city, there was no permit for a full closure of the intersection.
There is one approved for work near the intersection, that would affect the curb lane one both Bloor and Yonge, but nothing that would give the green light for a full closure.
Turns out, we were right.
"City staff were made aware of an unauthorized closure of the intersection at Bloor St. and Yonge St. by a third party contractor. An enforcement officer was deployed and it is expected that appropriate action will be taken," a city spokesperson told NEWSTALK 1010. "We can update on actions taken when the enforcement officer completes their investigation and provides a report."
The intersection was fully closed for about an hour and a half on Tuesday morning, before vehicles were allowed through.
This isn't the first time this has happened. It was back at the end of February, when a condo developer closed the entire stretch of Aldelaide at Bathurst, on the Tuesday after Family Day, for the entire morning commute.
When NEWSTALK 1010 looked into that closure, it was also deemed to be unauthorized. But because the developer immediately took action to reopen the road, afer a visit from an enforcement officer, no fines of penalties were levied.
As far as a penalty in this case, it wouldn't be severe.
"A typical Notice of Violation fine is $600. A more punitive charge would be a Part 3 ticket which, depending on the court decision, can run between $200 to $5,000. There may also be additional costs assumed by the offending company/contractor," says a city spokesperson.