Here's how an 8,100-tonne Toronto bridge was demolished in 72 hours

A Toronto bridge weighing as much as fifteen 747 jets was demolished this month, a colossal feat that was undertaken in just 72 hours.

The Progress Avenue bridge was the latest casualty demolished to make way for a transit project in Toronto, torn down as part of Metrolinx's Scarborough Subway Extension (SSE).

The new subway extension will tack on an additional 7.8 kilometres to the TTC's Line 2 Bloor-Danforth from the current eastern terminus at Kennedy Station to a new endpoint at Sheppard Avenue East and McCowan Road.

The former bridge's footprint was necessary to provide space for the construction of the line's Scarborough Centre Station, leading to the structure's July closure and mobilization for the teardown in August. 

And, Metrolinx has just released new behind-the-scenes aerial footage documenting the bridge's demolition.

In just 72 hours, our teams removed the 8,100-tonne Progress Avenue bridge from the site of the future Scarborough Centre Station. Watch the behind-the-scenes here. pic.twitter.com/FDQ3H4cDPj

— Scarborough Subway Extension (@ScarbSubwayEXT) September 17, 2024

Levelling of this infrastructure was carried out over the Labour Day long weekend in a coordinated effort involving dozens of workers and machines. Twelve specialized excavators designed to minimize dust were utilized in the operation, tearing into the concrete and steel bridge structure and removing it one bite at a time.

A time-lapse video shows the dozen excavators chewing away at the bridge from the outer edges before meeting in the middle, looking reminiscent of the way teams of worker ants tear away at food until nothing is left.

Once the bridge deck was demolished and the resulting rubble cleared off-site, crews began tearing down the bridge's central support columns until every trace of the bridge had been removed.

The newly-demolished bridge has freed up work space for the forthcoming subway station which will be built at this location, estimated for completion between 2029 and 2030.