The Gardiner lane closure is officially in effect, meaning traffic along the busy stretch of an already busy route is about to get a little more congested... for the next 3 years.

Starting March 25 until roughly April 2027, the high-volume and much-lamented Gardiner Expressway will have one lane closed in each direction between Dufferin and Strachan for rehabilitation of the 60-year-old highway.

According to the Gardiner Expressway Strategic Rehabilitation Plan, the work will "occur in stages, impacting one lane in each direction at a time, starting with the eastbound lanes."

During the eastbound lane closure, the eastbound on-ramp from Lake Shore Boulevard east of Jameson Avenue, will also be closed.

In a small dose of good news, though, for anyone hoping to make the most of the upcoming long weekend, there will be no lane closures between Friday, March 29 and Sunday, March 31.

All lanes of the Gardiner Expressway will also be open Saturday, April 6 to Monday, April 8, as the rehabilitations are in the least-disruptive pre-construction phase, before moving into long-term lane closures mid-April.

According to the Rehabilitation Plan, the "effects of age, heavy daily usage, weather and salt," have made the work — which is sure to cause a three-year-long traffic headache — necessary.

If traveling along the Gardiner is an integral part of your daily commute, now is the time to make serious considerations about finding a new option. Like, maybe walking.