Your TTC commute may soon feature a soaring flight through Toronto’s lush Don Valley, as work progresses on an enormous new subway bridge that will eventually carry the forthcoming Ontario Line high above the valley floor.
Toronto is not exactly a city known for bridges, though the city will be gaining many new elevated river and road crossings as part of the new 15.6-kilometre transit route linking the upcoming Eglinton Crosstown LRT in the north with Exhibition Place in the south.
Two major bridges spanning the Don River and Don Valley Parkway will stand out among the Ontario Line’s elevated crossings, including the Don Valley Crossing bridge, which will stand as the first such high-level valley crossing built in roughly a century.
What are they building?
Under construction since last year, this balanced cantilever bridge will stand 38 metres above the valley floor at its highest point with a balanced cantilever design, becoming the first high-level crossing of the Don Valley constructed since the nearby Leaside Bridge was completed in 1927.
Metrolinx
In addition to joining the Leaside Bridge in the history books, the new crossing will also become a prominent foreground feature in the iconic skyline view enjoyed from the Leaside Bridge.
The new crossing will emerge from a tunnel portal at Minton Place in the Thorncliffe Park area, proceed across the valley, before Ontario Line trains continue along an elevated guideway for its final northern leg of the route.
Metrolinx
What does construction look like so far?
Metrolinx recently published a presentation with an update on ongoing construction for the new bridge.
From April to June, crews advanced work on a retaining wall, an access road and crane pad, slope stabilization, and various other early works in support of the heavy construction to follow.
The long-term task of stabilizing slopes is expected to conclude in August after roughly eight months, along with temporary bridge installation — ongoing since June. Pier piling activity is expected to last into late summer.
These tasks were evident when blogTO visited the nearby Leaside Bridge to capture views of construction this past May.
Fareen Karim
What’s next?
Pier piling activity will pave the way for the first major steps in vertical construction, creating a safe excavation area for foundations and the subsequent forming of these massive twinned structural supports.
Though somewhat spartan in appearance, the bridge’s monolithic stature over the valley floor and monumental importance in getting a gridlocked city back in motion are sure to make this a construction project for the history books.
The Ontario Line is set to enter service in 2031.
