Major intersection will remain partially closed in Mississauga a while longer: city

Shut down since last Thursday due to construction, one of Mississauga’s busiest intersections partially reopened to traffic early Monday morning.

Hurontario Street is now taking northbound/southbound traffic once again, but Dundas Street will remain closed to traffic in the area until June 30, City of Mississauga transit officials said in an update to the public on Monday.

The Hurontario and Dundas streets intersection was fully closed down Thursday through early Monday to allow specific work to be completed on the $4.6-billion Hazel McCallion light-rail transit line. Crews were installing the centre-running guideway and LRT tracks.

When completed in 2028 or so, the Hazel McCallion Line will run 18 kilometres along Hurontario Street from south Mississauga north into downtown Brampton.

The Hurontario/Dundas intersection is situated in the heart of Cooksville, a few kilometres south of Mississauga’s downtown core.

The city said work at the high-traffic intersection, also a busy commercial area, is being completed in two phases.

The second phase, a partial intersection closure, will see eastbound and westbound traffic on Dundas Street — including transit buses — continue to be rerouted at Hurontario Street until 5 a.m. on June 30.

During that period, MiWay routes 1 and 101 will continue to be on detour, city transit officials noted. Transit riders are advised to visit MiWay online for more information.

Last Wednesday afternoon, the Cooksville Business Improvement Area issued a news release in which it took Metrolinx to task for what it claims to be a lack of notice related to the major intersection closure. Metrolinx is the provincial agency overseeing the massive public transit project.

The BIA said it received final notice of the closure from Metrolinx on June 5 at around 5 p.m., “after the BIA office had closed for the day.”

Metrolinx told INsauga.com last Thursday afternoon it has been “in communication with the local community, including the Cooksville BIA, since early 2026 preparing them for the closure with high-level details, including potential impacts, potential construction approaches and areas to be impacted.”

“Only days to prepare,” the BIA says

The BIA claimed in its news release that businesses and property owners were faced early last week “with only days to prepare for one of the most significant traffic disruptions in Cooksville. This falls well short of the approximately two weeks’ notice that Metrolinx previously indicated would be provided for full intersection closures.

“Compounding the issue, the BIA had earlier been advised informally that the possible closure would occur on June 15 only to learn later, with short notice, that it would begin four days sooner. This stands in direct contrast to assurances previously provided by Metrolinx during community meetings.”

Adding to its earlier comment, the provincial agency said it held a Construction Liaison Committee meeting on May 21, “with BIA leadership present discussing the potential timing and approach of the Dundas/Hurontario intersection closure.”

Metrolinx, which says it aims to provide as much notice to the impacted community and local businesses as it can, also noted, “we understand that construction and road closures can be challenging for local businesses, and we always work directly with shop owners through the process to ensure we mitigate issues whenever possible.”

(Image: Metrolinx)

Four years behind schedule

The Hazel McCallion Line, under construction since 2020, is scheduled to be completed at some point in 2028 — which would put it nearly four years behind schedule.

Metrolinx updated the city on the well-behind-schedule initiative at a closed-door session in late April.

The mayor, city councillors and senior staff had long expressed frustration at project delays they’ve said are hurting businesses and testing drivers’ patience daily.

In an interview with INsauga.com in May, Mayor Carolyn Parrish said she and other city officials were told by Metrolinx the Hazel McCallion Line would be ready in 2028 to take its first passengers.

The new LRT line, which when completed will whisk riders from Port Credit GO station in south Mississauga north into Brampton along Hurontario Street, was initially to open in fall 2024.

However, the project has encountered various delays since that date was set.

When it opens to passengers, the Hazel McCallion Line will feature more than 20 stops along the route, including several in Mississauga’s downtown core by Square One. Metrolinx received the go-ahead from the province in February 2024 to extend the LRT line by three or four kilometres into downtown Brampton and reintroduce the “downtown loop” to the City Centre area of Mississauga. The latter component will add several stops to the route.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said earlier this year that extending the $4.6-billion Hazel McCallion Line from Hurontario Street into the busy and fast-growing downtown core of Mississauga will cost another $1.6 billion — the construction tab to be picked up by the provincial government.