A colourful new bridge arrived in Toronto last week, completing a journey from Nova Scotia.
The 57-metre long bridge will span the future mouth of the Don River where Cherry Street currently meets the Polson Slip. It’s the third bridge to be delivered as part of the Port Lands Flood Protection project, and it will become a landmark on Toronto’s skyline, connecting the future Villiers Island to surrounding revitalized Port Lands.
“We welcomed the third Cherry Street bridge to Toronto after a long journey from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia,” Mayor John Tory wrote on Twitter. “These bridges will be vital links in our work on the city’s waterfront – connecting the new Villiers Island to downtown Toronto and the revitalized Port Lands.”
As part of the $1.25-billion Port Lands Flood Protection project, Waterfront Toronto will install four new bridges.
Details about the bridges:
- The Cherry Street South bridge weighs 830 metric tonnes and measures 110 metres long.
- The cost for all four bridges is $100 million
- The bridges were designed and engineered by Entuitive, Grimshaw and Schlaich Bergermann
- After an open procurement process, Halifax-based Cherubini Metal Works won the contract to
- fabricate the bridges. Some specialized work was also done in the Netherlands by a firm called CGI,
- specifically, 3D bending of steel plates, which is something only a limited number of firms do.
- The steel is Canadian with the exception of the 3D shell components
- The steel bridges are being painted white, each with a distinctive colour on the interior to contrast with the white exterior and accentuate the bridges’ curves
The Cherry Street south bridge arrived Dec. 8 in three pieces: the centre span with a bright yellow arch and two approach spans that will now be welded together into one bridge.
It arrived sitting on self propelled modular transporters (SPMTs), machines that drove the bridge off the barge and on to a specially constructed landing pad, and eventually onto the foundations.
The first bridge to arrive in the Port Lands was installed over water – from the water. The second bridge was installed over land – from the land (river coming soon!). Soon the Cherry St. South Bridge will be installed: over water, but from on land!
“The arrival of the Cherry Street South Bridge is a key milestone in the transformation of Toronto’s waterfront. This bridge is vital to connecting Villiers Island and is an instrumental part of our work to provide flood protection to southeastern portions of downtown Toronto, while also creating public and green space,” said Julie Dabrusin, Toronto Danforth MP.
“The arrival of this bridge is a huge milestone for Toronto’s waterfront. We’re pleased to celebrate this step toward completion of essential flood protection efforts that will contribute to unlocking the area’s potential for future green space, and residential and commercial development,” Ontario Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma said in a statement.
Villiers Island is anticipated to become the first climate-positive community in Canada. Its future development, along with the McLeary District, the Unilever Precinct, and more, is made possible through the Port Lands Flood Protection Project.
“This specific bridge will provide much-needed walking and cycling paths for those who live in and around the area or those who are looking to visit the new Villiers Island once it is complete,” Tory said.
