Six months after The Bentway’s January soft opening, work continues for the 1.75 km linear park underneath the Gardiner Expressway through Toronto's Fort York neighbourhood. Regular photo updates in our Forum thread for the project have been covering the ongoing construction since the Bentway’s skate trail opened in January, though every once in a while, one update stands out from the pack.

The Bentway facing east from Strachan, image by Forum contributor ADRM

New photos from Forum contributor ADRM offer a detailed look at progress on The Bentway, and what work remains on the park’s initial phase, stretching from Strachan Avenue east towards Bathurst Street. In the image above, looking east from the park’s west end at Strachan Avenue, a tiered wooden structure is now in place which will serve as seating for an open-air theatre and performance space.

Wood structure at the west end of The Bentway, image by Forum contributor ADRM

Just east of Strachan on the south side of the linear park—and adjacent to the tiered seating area—a new berm now features an accessible ramp for cyclists and persons with mobility issues, providing access between different grades of the Strachan Avenue bridge and the park floor. As they grow, shrubs and trees will increasingly buffer the park from the sounds of traffic from neighbouring roads.

Berm, ramp, and plantings at the west end of The Bentway, image by Forum contributor ADRM

The park’s winter skate trail opening offered a glimpse at some of the park’s hardscaping, and new landscaping has since been added to the mix, with trees and shrubs apparently doing quite well despite their limited midday exposure to sunlight. (With the Gardiner so high here, sunlight does make it below the sheltering deck at either end of the day.)

Landscaping at The Bentway, image by Forum contributor ADRM

Other new features aim to draw people into The Bentway, including a Sunday beer garden space with picnic benches and string lighting. A short distance to the west, new outdoor furniture has been installed by the entrance to the Fort York Visitor Centre, helping to animate the facility’s park-facing frontage.

New seating at The Bentway in front of the Fort York Visitor Centre, image by Forum contributor ADRM

You will find several more terrific photos from ADRM's visit to The Bentway in this post in our dedicated Bentway thread.

We will return with updates as construction of The Bentway progresses. In the meantime, additional information and renderings of the project can be found in our database file, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment in the field provided at the bottom of this page.