Gargantuan new subway bridge rising into popular Toronto skyline view

Ontario Line construction in Toronto will soon add a new landmark to a popular skyline view, as a massive new subway bridge takes shape in the Don Valley.

The over $27-billion subway line is already in the process of transforming sites across Toronto, and while a large share of the 15.6-kilometre route will be constructed underground within tunnels, the project is also reshaping a popular view of the downtown skyline.

Views of the lush Don Valley and Toronto skyline from the Leaside Bridge will forever be altered by the new Don Valley Crossing, a massive concrete bridge that will carry the Ontario Line across the vast valley.

The high-level crossing is one of two bridges being constructed over the Don River and Don Valley Parkway, along with a smaller arch bridge under construction further south.

Rendering of the new Don Valley Crossing bridge set against the Toronto skyline as seen from the Leaside bridge. Photo: Metrolinx

Rising concrete towers for the new bridge appear to threaten the picturesque skyline view from certain points along the bridge. 

However, with the Leaside Bridge's road deck sitting over seven metres higher than track-level on the new Don Valley Crossing, there will be points along the bridge where the bridge structure and subway trains zipping by add to the view, rather than block it.

Bridge piers are now rising from the valley floor, soon to support the bridge's deck, and eventually, the Ontario Line's trains. 

Photos of the mammoth bridge piers are put into perspective by the comparatively tiny construction workers manning the rising concrete towers.

The bridge will contribute to a dramatic exit from the line's eastern tunnelled section, with trains to emerge from a portal etched out of the valley's eastern slope and out over the scenic valley.

Passengers on trains will go from the darkness of subterranean tunnels to a dramatic skyline view over one of the city's most scenic natural features, bolstered by views of traffic below on the Don Valley Parkway.

While the Line 2 Bloor Danforth already offers a similar experience when it emerges onto the Prince Edward Viaduct, the views are heavily impeded by the bridge's support structure, and the portion of the skyline visible is nowhere near as postcard-worthy as what Ontario Line passengers have in store.

Another difference between the Line 2 experience here will be the continued views northbound passengers are treated to after transiting the bridge, where the Ontario Line will transition to an elevated guideway for its final stretch.

The bridge itself is primed to become an Instagram-worthy landmark, and a park planned above the bridge's eastern portal offering views right down the barrel of Don Valley Crossing.

Meanwhile, views from the Leaside Bridge — which was the most recent high-level crossing over the valley, built in 1927 — will likely only see its views improve further with the addition of this new infrastructure.

The Ontario Line is set to enter service in the early 2030s.