Watch out for that detour ahead.

Starting this Friday night (March 26) at 7 p.m., Rutherford Road will be closed between Westburne Drive and Peter Rupert Avenue while Metrolinx contractors prepare the east diversion track for service. Activation of the diversion track is necessary so work can continue on the west rail bridge and track.

The road will reopen on Monday morning (March 29) at 4 a.m.

Metrolinx understands the inconvenience of the closure, but crews will be working around the clock to get the job done safely and on time. Detour routes will be in place for the duration of the closure and directional signage will be installed. Traffic and pedestrian changes are outlined below:

• Traffic heading east on Rutherford Road will need to detour north or south onto Keele Street.
• Traffic heading west on Rutherford Road will need to detour north or south onto Dufferin Street.
• There will be no pedestrian access on Rutherford Road within the limits of the closure.

To prepare the east diversion track for service, the contractor will need to remove all the existing asphalt from the roadway, requiring a complete road closure. Also, there will be no GO train service for the duration of the road closure. GO and York Region buses will be operational using a detour route. Please plan ahead and build in extra time for your travel this weekend.

The bus loop located on Rutherford Road between Westburne Drive and Peter Rupert Avenue will be relocated to the Reserved Parking lot at 635 Westburne Drive to accommodate the road closure. GO buses will serve the temporary bus loop location. For York Region Transit (YRT): route 85/87 will be using existing stops on Rutherford, while diverting via Peter Rupert/Langstaff/Westburne. Route 107B will be servicing up to stop #3867, before terminating the route. Check schedules or use triplinx.ca to plan trips.

The Rutherford GO Station project includes a grade separation at the rail bridge and when complete, traffic will no longer have to wait for a train to pass – a major improvement to safety and to reduce traffic congestion. This work supports GO Expansion for access to more frequent, all-day, two-way GO train service in the future.

This kind of work can make commutes more challenging, but the construction will be worth it in the end. Once the station improvements are completed in 2022, Rutherford GO Station will improve the transit experience for communities in Vaughan with:

• An entirely new and improved station building
• The new parking structure featuring 1,200 net new spaces
• A new railway bridge over Rutherford Road enhancing safety and enabling two-way, all-day GO train service in the future
• Bike lanes and a pedestrian bridge over the road that provide convenient new ways to reach the station
• 100 new bike parking spots
• An upgraded bus loop for more seamless connections to York Region Transit and the Kiss & Ride

To learn more about the many other changes coming to Rutherford GO and to subscribe to our weekly e-newsletter, visit here.