Parts of two busy downtown Toronto roads — the Gardiner Expressway and King Street — were closed Monday after strong winds tore large chunks of ice from the tops of highrises and the CN Tower.

Large sheets of ice cling to the CN Tower, periodically falling to the ground below as the sun warms the building.
(Dwight Friesen/CBC)

The closure of the expressway snarled traffic during the morning and afternoon rush hours.

About 8 a.m. ET, several chunks of ice from the 553-metre high CN Tower fell on the Gardiner, with the largest piece about 1.2 metres by 1.2 metres and several centimetres thick, police said. Several other pieces were the size of baseballs.

"With the high winds from the northwest, it's taking the pieces of ice right into the path of the Gardiner Expressway," said Toronto police Insp. Tom Russell.

Fears that another large sheet of ice looked like it was about to fall from the tower caused police to close down parts of the busy roadway in both directions during the morning rush hour.

Meanwhile, a taxi hit by ice falling from highrises along King Street West prompted police to close the financial district thoroughfare from Bay Street west to York.

Environment Canada issued a wind chill warning for the city, saying winds are expected to gust up to 90 km/h during the day.

Police warned the ice could be deadly after falling from high buildings.

On the westbound lanes of the Gardiner, traffic was being diverted at the Yonge, Bay and York exits. Police were redirecting eastbound traffic at Spadina Avenue.

Police cruisers block off parts of the Gardiner Expressway to prevent vehicles from being struck by ice falling from the CN Tower.
(City of Toronto)

Police say both roads will remain closed until they decide it's safe again.

Similar problems prompted police to shut down several downtown streets Friday after a winter storm coated many of the highrise buildings and the CN Tower with a mix of snow, ice and rain.

Environment Canada meteorologist Geoff Coulson said the falling ice is the result of a combination of factors.

"As we head into March now, the sun is getting stronger, the days are getting longer, but we are still falling prey occasionally to these large winter storms," he said.

The storms cover buildings in a fresh layer of snow and ice, which then melts when the sun comes out and is blown down by strong winds, said Coulson.

Milder weather is in the forecast for much of southern Ontario, said Coulson, but not until Thursday when temperatures are expected to reach 3 C.