Metrolinx Readies for Bridge Work
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-In-Chief, Railway AgeTORONTO – Several rail bridges in Toronto’s east end, including one on Eastern Avenue, are being replaced to support more transit, including the new East Harbour Transit Hub (EHTH), a station in Riverdale that will offer connections to expanded GO service; SmartTrack; the Ontario Line subway; and Toronto Transit Commission light rail.
A new, wider bridge over Eastern Avenue will provide an important connection to the EHTH, and is a key link in the GO Expansion program. The eastern half of the existing bridge will be demolished before construction of the new one starts. As such, Eastern Avenue will be closed between Logan and Broadview Avenues in late July:
- July 24-27: Nightly closures, from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m.
- July 28-31: Full weekend closure beginning July 28 at 8 p.m. and ending July 31 at 5 a.m.
Work to reconstruct the eastern half of the Eastern Avenue bridge will begin in Fall 2023. The same process will be repeated on the western portion of the bridge at a later stage in the project. The bridge demolition and reconstruction work will happen in phases to maintain normal GO service levels, Metrolink said.
Metrolinx noted that, in addition to the Eastern Avenue bridge, three other aging rail bridges in Toronto’s east end—Queen Street East, Dundas Street East, and Logan Avenue—are reaching the end of their service life and will be replaced this summer. “They will be rebuilt for the future, with new tracks designed for expanded GO services, and repositioned to make room for the Ontario Line, whose bridges will be built next to them. Metrolinx will share news as dates and times are finalized.”