The city of Toronto and the Toronto Transit Commission will be closing several roads and modifying public transit service in the heart of downtown to accommodate the Toronto International Film Festival.

Starting at 2 a.m. today, King St. West from University Ave. to Spadina Ave., Duncan St. from King St. West to Pearl St., John St. from Wington St. West to Pearl St., Windermere Ave. from King St. West to Adelaide St. West, and Emily St. from Wington St. West to King St. West will be closed to vehicles and bicycles.

The road closures will continue until 5 a.m. on Monday, September 11.

Simultaneously, Simcoe St. from Wellington St. West to Pearl St. will also be closed to vehicles and bicycles from 5 a.m. on Thursday, September 7, to 5 a.m. on Tuesday, September 12.

Westbound traffic on Front St. West from Bay St. to University Ave. will be restricted from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday, September 10.

The city will be adjusting traffic signals in the area, and if necessary, deploying traffic officers to keep things moving. The city advises those who need to travel in the area to plan their journeys in advance, allow for extra time, and consider using public transit.

The transit agency has also announced a number of service modifications for the festival.

During the road closures, the 504 King and 304 King routes will be diverted and will not operate between Church St. and Spadina St. Customers are advised to transfer between streetcars and alternate buses on King St. West between Church St. and Jarvis St., and on King St. West between Bathurst St. and Spadina St.

Alternate buses will operate westbound on King St. East, northbound on University Ave., westbound on Richmond St. West, southbound on Spadina Ave., and westbound on King St. West.

Eastbound alternate buses will operate northbound on Spadina Ave., eastbound on Adelaide St. West, southbound on University Ave., and eastbound on King St.

Normal transit service is scheduled to resume at 5 a.m. on Monday, September 11, but due to red carpet events on King St., there will be some additional service diversions on Monday, September 11, and Tuesday, September 12, from 3:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

A number of red carpet events are also scheduled from September 13 to 16.

While the Toronto Transit Commission has worked with the festival to minimize the need for diversions, customers may experience slight delays during this timeframe.

Throughout the 11-day festival, the transit agency said it will have designated staff at key locations to assist customers and provide information about transit options.

In a press release, the Toronto Transit Commission thanked customers for their patience during the Toronto Film Festival, an event that benefits Toronto's economy and enhances its international reputation as a world-class city.