'Iconic' bridge sails into Toronto harbour, one step closer to city’s newest island

Ctvnews.ca
May 12, 2021
Saron Fanel

The second of four new bridges sailed into Toronto’s harbour today.

Weighing 650 tonnes of steel and measuring 83 metres long, the western half of the Commissioners Street bridge is the latest structure to arrive from Halifax. The other half is set to arrive this summer.

The Port Lands bridges are part of Waterfront Toronto’s project, which is expected to wrap up in 2024.

“What we’re doing there is really creating an extension of the downtown in an area that, without this work, would not be developable because of risk of flooding and contamination from years of industrial work,” said Mira Shenker, spokesperson with Waterfront Toronto.

The bridge will connect Commissioners Street to Don Roadway and will cross over a new river that Waterfront Toronto is building, Shenker said.

Two of the bridges will sit at Cherry Street North and the other at Cherry Street South.

The vision of Villiers Island includes new trails and parks and the area will be flood-proof.

Mayor John Tory shared his excitement on Twitter: “We've reached another landmark in the Port Lands Flood Protection project: the west half of the Commissioners St. Bridge has arrived in Toronto!”

“It’s very exciting. Toronto will have never seen anything quite like this,” said city councillor Paula Fletcher.

“The bridges are the testament that we are moving closer and closer to that day,” she said.