Toronto is about to demolish a handful of decades-old bridges

Toronto is in the midst of a construction boom for capital projects, with multiple transit lines, stations and expansions in the works alongside countless other infrastructure initiatives that are changing the face — and the functioning — of the city.

As key downtown intersections like Queen and Yonge, Queen and Spadina and King and Bathurst are rendered unrecognizable on their way to becoming new subway stops, many other corners of the city are simultaneously being redefined, whether with completely new precincts, spates of new parks, or something else.

With all of this work comes the necessary demolition of the old to replace it with the new — including in the case of a number of aging bridges in line for snazzy upgrades.

Some, like the train bridge on Bloor Street between Lansdowne and Symington, are being reimagined to make key junctures more efficient in the face of increasing commuter rail service. Others, like the Cherry Street lift bridge and Progress Avenue pedestrian bridge, will no longer be necessary at all after surrounding construction work.

Others are just plain old and in a state of disrepair, in need of an extensive facelift at best, including four that the City is now focusing on in one central pocket: the century-old Eastern Avenue Bridge, the Don Valley Parkway Off-Ramp over the Don River, and the Richmond Street East Bridge and Adelaide Street Bridge, both over King Street East.

Work on these four viaducts will include the repair and replacement of all sorts of parts, from concrete deck tops and asphalt paving to key joints, barriers and bearings.

The construction has just entered its "noisy demolition" phase this month, with work taking place at night to avoid pesky daytime restrictions of Metrolinx train service and Don Valley Parkway traffic.

The demo stage, which includes "asphalt removal, as well as concrete chipping and breaking," is expected to last until the end of the summer, hopefully wrapping up in late August 2025 (though the projects in their entirety will carry on until early 2027).

Drivers and pedestrians should be aware of the following impacts, which will last until at least fall 2025 and were outlined by the City in a recent construction update notice:

• One eastbound and one westbound lane on Eastern Avenue will be closed between Sumach Street and Broadview Avenue.
• One eastbound lane on Adelaide Street will be closed between Sumach Street and Eastern Avenue. 
• Richmond Street will be reduced to one lane at Eastern Avenue.
• The sidewalk on Eastern Avenue from the pedestrian ramp to Broadview Avenue will be detoured to a protected walkway next to the construction area.
• Intermittent overnight DVP lane and ramp closures
• Continued intermittent traffic disruptions to St. Lawrence Street, Lower River Street, and Bayview Avenue throughout 2025.

This is all separate from other work in the area that is necessitating lane closures on the DVP, Gardiner and other roads in the same area this summer to facilitate the creation of the Ontario Line's Lower Don Bridge and Minton Place Portal.