Since our last report in April, construction is now well underway to demolish and replace the aging pedestrian bridge above Queen Street which connects the Galleria of Cadillac Fairview's Toronto Eaton Centre with the Hudson's Bay and Saks Fifth Avenue stores to the south. The new bridge is designed by UK-based architects Wilkinson Eyre with original Eaton Centre design firm Zeidler Partnerships Architects, with Zeidler also acting as executive architects on the renewed link. 

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On May 10, 2017, the first piece of the new bridge, a 193,000 pound box girder beam, made a voyage from the Steel City of Hamilton to the Eaton Centre to begin construction of the new bridge. The box beam will be the structural backbone of the new bridge, to which will be added all of the architectural components to create the new glazed space. Part of James Street between the Eaton Centre and Old City Hall has been cordoned off for the assembly, before lifting the completed bridge into place for finishing. 

Space set aside on James Street to construct the bridge, image courtesy by Edward Skira

According to Cadillac Fairview, the new bridge represents a significant milestone in the redevelopment of the Toronto Eaton Centre, helping to realize the developer's vision of making Hudson's Bay and Saks Fifth Avenue feel more a part of Toronto Eaton Centre, and in delivery on its promise of a premium shopping experience.

The existing bridge over Yonge Street, already being disassembled, image by Stefan Novakovic

The aging pedestrian bridge is now closed and is being disassembled over a few weeks. The new pedestrian bridge is slated to open this fall. In the meantime, shoppers can either exit the Eaton Centre and cross Queen Street at ground level, or can use the PATH to access Hudson's Bay and Saks Fifth Avenue.

New CF Toronto Eaton Centre bridge, image courtesy of Cadillac Fairview

We will return with updates as construction continues in the future. Additional information on the development plus several other renderings can be found in our Eaton Centre dataBase file. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check our associated Forum thread, or leave a comment in the space provided at the bottom of this page.