If you've taken a trip down to the Port Lands to soak in Toronto's monumental transformation of the former industrial lands, odds are you may have crossed one of the twinned futuristic Cherry Street North bridges that recently opened to the public.

The bridges, which have turned heads with their unique shapes and distinctive red and white finishes, cross the Keating Channel south of Lake Shore Boulevard on the new Cherry Street, a rerouting of the street roughly 100 metres west of its former location.

Designed and engineered by Entuitive, Grimshaw, and Schlaich Bergermann partner, both bridges are 57 metres in length and will connect the forthcoming Villiers Island to the downtown core. 

In a recent thread on Reddit, one user questioned the purpose of one of the bridges, which is currently not connected to a road or bike path. 

What’s the purpose of the bridge on the left?
byu/DAcazyCANADIAN intoronto

"My best guess is it serves as a bridge buddy for the bridge on the right. It's not connected to anything (sidewalk, bike path, or road) and blocked off with cement pieces. Any ideas community?" the Toronto resident asked. 

Many users quickly pointed out that the second, narrower bridge that also crosses the north end of Cherry Street will be utilized for an in-development transit line planned to serve the redeveloped Port Lands in the future.

"The smaller bridge to the east, without a road leading up to it, is a future dedicated transit bridge. Eventually, a streetcar will use the bridge to continue into the Port Lands. In the meantime, it will be planted as a meadow with access for people," Waterfront Toronto's website reads. 

The massive $1.3 billion eco-engineering project reshaping the area involves creating a new naturalized mouth of the Don River, which will connect the Port Lands to a 195-hectare network of parks nestled within the ravine system that runs through Corktown Common past the Brick Works to Pottery Road. 

Breathtaking aerial views show off Toronto's new artificial river https://t.co/cqaRE54fG7

— blogTO (@blogTO) February 29, 2024

Construction also includes 2.2 kilometres of new roads, a park with play areas, walking trails, bird watching, and picnic spots, as well as less visible components, like 1,200 metres of duct banks hidden underground. 

As part of the project, Waterfront Toronto is working in partnership with the City of Toronto and the TTC to construct a Light Rail Transit (LRT) network, which will eventually serve Toronto's eastern waterfront, including the East Bayfront and Port Lands. 

Spanning from Union Station to the foot of Bay Street and along Queens Quay East to the Distillery Loop on Cherry Street and into the Port Lands, the future route will connect the downtown core to new communities on the water's edge. 

While timelines are still subject to change, a virtual public consultation last spring noted that The Waterfront East Light Rail Transit (WELRT) could be fully operational by 2032 to 2035.