Toronto's iconic new subway bridge just crossed a huge milestone
Motorists grumbled over the past weekend due to a major closure affecting portions of the Don Valley Parkway (DVP) and Gardiner Expressway, though the temporary inconvenience enabled critical work to advance on an iconic new subway bridge that will help move Toronto residents for generations to come.
Sections of the DVP and Gardiner were closed from Friday, Jan. 30, at 11 p.m. to Monday, Feb. 2, at 5 a.m. to accommodate critical construction work for the new Lower Don Bridge that will carry Ontario Line trains across the Don River and adjacent highway lanes.
The closure allowed crews to move the eastern section of the bridge over the DVP, which was carefully slid from west to east across the river and installed in its permanent location. The remaining western half of the structure will be positioned into place at a later date.
Aerial views of the operation were captured by local photographer, Kotsy, who took to the skies with his drone to document the construction milestone and shared the results on Instagram.
Weekend progress on the Lower Don Bridge was years in the making. The arch-supported bridge was first announced in 2021 and commenced construction in 2024.
Once complete, the bridge will carry Ontario Line traffic across the waterway and busy highway, and offer impressive elevated views of the cityscape for users of the line.
Metrolinx
It will also be quite the looker, and is set to feature architectural lighting after dark that will further enhance its visual impact.
Metrolinx
The 15.6-kilometre Ontario Line will eventually serve 15 stations and will link the new Line 5 Eglinton in the north with Exhibition Place in the south.
