In spite of Premier Doug Ford’s anti-bike lane sentiments and legislation, the City of Toronto is moving to transform a number of streets to better prioritize pedestrians and cyclists under the assumption that so long as no traffic lanes are removed during the revamps, the projects won’t be subject to the province’s new Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act.
Among the numerous kilometres of roadway eyed for the new infrastructure are two bridges due to be replaced to help prevent flooding in the Rockcliffe-Smythe neighbourhood, which is designated by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) as one of the most at-risk for river overflows and backups during storms.
The two viaducts, which are 1960s-era and cross over Black Creek at Jane Street and Scarlett Road, will be reconstructed and increased in height as nearby flood channels are expanded and the surrounding land is stabilized.
At the same time, the roadways will also be widened, and also equipped with raised cycle tracks and other “public amenity space to support the needs of the community,” which so far appears to include walking trails, greenery and even art installations.
Stantec
Carrying out the work is Alberta-based Stantec, which was just tapped to helm the $12.5 million revitalization this week.
In a release on Wednesday, the project manager from the firm notes that “replacing the bridges at Scarlett Road and Jane Street are an important piece of the overall flood mitigation approach for Rockcliffe-Smythe,” with three major flooding events having taken place in the area in the last few years alone.
“With these improvements we will help make the community more resilient, while improving transportation connections to the surrounding city,” they say.
Stantec
Stantec also released some preliminary renderings of what the new crossings will look like when all is said and done, along with providing a few more details during these early planning phases.
“At Jane Street, an 11-metre concrete arch culvert will be replaced by a 55-metre single-span bridge with raised cycle tracks in each direction. At Scarlett Road, the existing 15-metre bridge will be replaced by a higher 30-metre single-span bridge and raised cycle tracks will improve upon current cycling infrastructure,” the company writes.
The Jane Street bridge presently. Its existing bike paths will be upgraded, while the Scarlett crossing, which has no cycle lanes, will be outfitted with the infrastructure as it is raised and widened. Photo from Google Street View.
For those worried about impending road closures and traffic woes in the area, the construction is set to take place on one bridge at a time, starting with the Jane Street culvert.
