A major Toronto thoroughfare will soon grow a bit longer, but it will take some reshaping of the city's shoreline to accommodate this waterfront boulevard's upcoming extension.

Queens Quay East is set to undergo a transformative change in the coming years that includes aplanned streetcar lineandsome of the most stunning buildings on tapfor the Toronto skyline.

The first major works for the street's next chapter will come this August when crews begin preparatory activity for an extension of Queens Quay eastbound to a planned road known as Silo Street, including a rebuilt intersection at the current terminus of Parliament Street.

The extension is part of the broader Quayside project on lands once proposed to be home to thecontroversial and ultimately scrapped Sidewalk Labs smart city.

A new plan for this Quayside community is centred around an extended Queens Quay, however, the existing Parliament Slip stands in the way, requiring some shoreline re-engineering.

According to a construction notice posted by Waterfront Toronto, the extension's first steps will see the head of the Parliament Slip filled in, followed by the construction of a new dockwall that will permanently straighten the dog-leg bend where Queens Quay currently meets Parliament Street.

The Parliament Slip itself is destined to become anew focal point of the planned Quayside community, with preliminary renderings boasting features like a floating market, bridge, and a massive outdoor pool placed right next to the extended Queens Quay.

Crews will arrive at the work site on August 1, transforming the existing parking lot at 333 Lake Shore Boulevard East into a staging ground for the main phase of construction that is expected to begin this coming Fall.

Waterfront Toronto advises of the imminent start of land-side activity on the 333 Lake Shore site, involving "construction vehicle transit, stock piling, soil management, equipment, storage, trailer compound, fencing, signage, general site cleanup, surveying, and site investigation works."

Water side activity will involve activities conducted from a work barge that will be stationed within the Parliament Slip. This aspect of work will begin with environmental prep, including the installation of liners to control debris and sediment, ensuring water quality as well as preserving the health of existing aquatic animals and vegetation.

Other steps carried out from the barge will include lake-filling work, dockwall installation, and the construction of a rock berm.

The new dockwall and lake fill are expected to be completed by January 2025, creating a new straightened alignment for Queens Quay's extension and thefuture LRT line serving the east waterfront area.