Toronto's newest bridge just arrived in the Port Lands

Another of Toronto's fancy new steel bridges has just arrived in the city from Nova Scotia to help connect the downtown core to the all-new neighbourhood that will be Villiers Island.

The striking red-and-white structures and their respective journeys home have become somewhat famous, and something that residents have been eagerly watching as the Port Lands area slowly transitions from an underused industrial wasteland into a vibrant new community.

The west half of the Commissioners St. Bridge has arrived in the Port Lands! Learn more about the bridges here: https://t.co/opN6bUW3nq#BridgeWatchTO https://t.co/b7CztG6OSk

— Waterfront Toronto (@WaterfrontTO) May 11, 2021

A key driver behind the $1.25 billion redevelopment is the rerouting of the Don River for future flood protection, which has given the city a great excuse to create whole mixed-use community with housing, commercial and office space, roads and trails, greenery, and some stellar new parks, one of which will have the city's biggest playground.

This latest arrival is the 650-tonne west half of the 152 metre-long Commissioners Street bridge, which joins the Cherry Street North bridge that arrived in Fall 2020.

The stunning feats of engineering are assembled Nova Scotia from steel parts shipped from the Netherlands, and are then sent off to T.O. via the St. Lawrence Seaway to be carefully installed with the help of cranes.

It's a beauty! Huzzah to Toronto design smarts.

— John Knechtel (@johnbknechtel) May 11, 2021

Waterfront Toronto expects Villiers and the renaturalization of the Don to be complete in 2024, after which construction can begin on new buildings, which will house thousands of residents.