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A long-awaited pedestrian/cycle bridges between Toronto's Fort York and Niagara neighbourhoods is closer to reality as construction heats up at the site of Garrison Crossing. The new bridges are being built by a team led by Dufferin Construction, project managed by Build Toronto and by MMM Group, with a design-build team composed of Pedelta, DTAH, Mulvey & Banani, and Golder Associates.
The project has been active since early 2017, and recent photos of the job site show plenty of progress since our last construction update from just over a year ago.
Garrison Crossing's completed first phase of construction involved the construction of a retaining wall in Ordnance Park in the middle of the crossings, and the installation of bridge support columns in there, and in Garrison Common in the south, and South Stanley Park Extension in the north. The first phase also included the placement of fill in Ordnance Park, allowing re-grading for the adjacent development project to the west. Phase 2 included the forming of the bridge’s approach ramp into Garrison Common, grading work on a portion of the South Stanley Park Extension, and the installation of new storm sewers.
Work is now underway on the third and final phase of the bridge’s construction, involving steel assembly, the installation of bridge structures, the pouring of the bridge decks, landscaping work in the South Stanley Park Extension, and the creation of new pedestrian/cycle paths connecting with the bridge. Metal fabrication for the bridge structures—being handled by Mariani Metal—is nearing completion, and deliveries of steel bridge elements have been ongoing since earlier this month. Hamilton-based moving specialists Paddock Transport International have been delivering the sections from a fabrication facility using tandem 4 axle trucks, with trailer beds roughly 3/4 the size of an NHL rink and capable of supporting 60 metric tonnes. Delivery of bridge elements is expected to continue into July.
Sections of the two large steel arch supports that will be a distinguishing feature of the new bridge are now clearly visible, wrapped in blue protective membranes to prevent damage during construction. The individual steel sections will be joined using a flux core welding process.
The current phase of work was originally scheduled to be completed in July, though a few elements of the second phase continued beyond their initially projected timelines, and construction is now expected to continue well into the summer, with a revised targeted completion date of late September. We'll be sure to return with updates as construction continues.
Additional information and images can be found in our database file for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment using the field provided at the bottom of this page.
