User:Alaney2k/Bridges of the West Don Valley

Bridges of the Don Valley

Don Valley
· Lower Don Valley
· East Don Valley
· West Don Valley
Part of the series on the
Don Valley
Toronto bridges ·

The Don River valley of Toronto, Ontario is an ancient natural glacial spillway. Because of the high discharges during the melting of ice sheets, a large amount of sedimentary land was displaced, causing a wide valley with steep sides. European settlers found the valley to be an ideal location to set up mills and local industry. Alongside the valley, the city of Toronto grew and numerous streets were needed and several crossed the Don River. Today there are several dozen bridges over the Don River; several are notable engineering achievements; several are abandoned bridges from settler times or abandoned roadways cut off during the construction of the Don Valley Parkway and Gardiner Expressway.

The bridges of the Don River can be classed into three separate classes:

• railway bridges (serving the Canadian National Railway (CNR) and Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR)
• roadway bridges
• pedestrian bridges

Railways entered the Don River valley starting in the 1870s. The CPR entered the valley in the 1880s.

West Don bridges

North-east of the Leaside bridge, the Don River forks into east and west branches and Massey Creek. The West branch continues due north. These bridges cross the Don River west branch. The bridges are organized from south (location of the fork) to north.

Image	Description	Carries	Built	Type	Location
Canadian National Railways bridge
View from north.	The CNR bridge carries two sets of rails over the West Don and a bicycle path mounted on wood boards along the Don's bank.	CNR	ca. 1920s	Steel girder
Ernest Thompson Seton Park Road bridge
View of bridge from north. CNR bridge in background.	The road provides access to the ravine lands of the West Don River.	Park access road	ca. 1950s	Steel girder
Overlea Boulevard bridge
View from south, on floodplain.	The Overlea bridge carries four lanes of traffic over the wide and deep ravine of the West Don.	Overlea Boulevard	ca. 1950s	Steel girder on concrete piers
Ernest Thompson Seton Park CPR railway bridge
A view of the trestle bridge from the north.	This bridge was constructed when the CPR entered Toronto in the 1880s and was upgraded in the 1920s for larger train engines. It carries one set of rails.		Trestle
Eglinton Avenue bridge
A view of the steel girder bridge from the south.	The Eglinton Avenue bridge carries six lanes of traffic over the West Don. North of Eglinton, Wilket Creek runs to the north-east while the main Don comes from the north-west	Eglinton Avenue	Steel girder on concrete pillars.	ca. 1950s
Lawrence Avenue bridge at Edwards Gardens
	The Lawrence Avenue bridge carries two lanes of traffic over the Wilket Creek tributary of the West Don. The park of Edwards Gardens is located to the south of the bridge.	Lawrence Avenue	Rebuilt in 2000 (badge on bridge)	Concrete and culvert construction.
Old Bayview/Lawrence bridge
	Superseded by the Bayview Avenue bridge over the West Don, this bridge has been left intact.		Circa 1900s	Concrete arch
Bayview Avenue bridge
View of Bayview bridge over Don from the east.	The Bayview Avenue bridge is located just north of Lawrence Avenue and north of York University's Glendon campus. It carries six lanes of traffic over the West Don. Built in 1929 by Harold Babcock. Widened to four lanes in 1967.	Bayview Avenue	1929	Steel girder on steel-reinforced concrete pillars
Plymbridge Road bridge
	The Plymbridge Road bridge carries two lanes of traffic over the West Don.	Plymbridge Road	ca. 1940s	Concrete
Donino Avenue bridge
View from west of bridge. Concrete channel ends just west of bridge.	The West Don is carried through a concrete flood-control channel.	Donino Avenue	ca. 1950s	Steel girder.
Mill Street bridge
View of bridge from south.	The Mill Street bridge carries two lanes of traffic over the West Don. The West Don is carried through a concrete flood-control channel. This bridge replaced the 1913 Birrell's bridge on the same location.	Mill Street	1964	Steel girder
Yonge Street bridge
	This area, known as 'Hogg's Hollow' is a wide section of the Don Valley. Yonge Street crossed the Don in this area from the early 1800s. The bridge carries six lanes of traffic.	Yonge Street	ca. 1960s	Steel girder on concrete piers
Wilson Avenue bridge
View of bridge from north.	This area, known as 'Hogg's Hollow' is a wide section of the Don Valley. Wilson Avenue and York Mills Road were only extended to Yonge Street in the 1960s. The bridge carries four lanes of traffic across the West Don.	Wilson Avenue	ca. 1960s	Steel girder on steel girder piers
Hogg's Hollow / Highway 401 Overpass bridge
View of Hogg's Hollow bridge from the south.	Main article: Hogg's Hollow Bridge Hogg's Hollow Bridge, originally known as the Yonge Boulevard Viaduct is a set of four separate highway bridges that span the Don River Valley and carries the eastbound and westbound traffic of Highway 401, split into collector and express lanes. It carries twelve lanes of traffic across the West Don.
Sheppard Avenue bridge
Sheppard Avenue bridge from south.	Sheppard Avenue Bridge is an under deck Truss bridge that spans the Don River on Sheppard Avenue West, just east of Bathurst Street. Built in 1954, the bridge has a scenic view of the West Don River and Earl Bales Park. The upper deck carries four lanes of traffic. There is a water main in the steel sub-structure. In April 2006, a small section of the road collapsed due to a break in the 50-year-old water main carried below. The bridge was out of commission for three weeks.	Sheppard Avenue	1954	Girder
Don River Boulevard bridge
	Don River Boulevard north of Sheppard Avenue
Addington Avenue bridge
	North of Don River Boulevard a smaller creek diverges to the northeast ending shortly after two bridges on Addington Avenue.
Bathurst Street bridge
	North of Sheppard Avenue
Finch Avenue bridge
	Between Dufferin Street and Bathurst Street
G. Ross Lord Park bridge
Steeles Avenue bridge
	East of Dufferin Street
Dufferin Street bridge
	north of Steeles Avenue West	Dufferin Street
Glen Shields Avenue bridge
	Glen Shields Avenue west of Dufferin Street	Glen Shields Avenue
Highway 407 overpass bridge
	This bridge carries six lanes of a dual highway over the West Don.

See also

• List of bridges in Toronto