Dufferin Street Truss Bridge/Dufferin Street Overpass
The Dufferin Street bridges over the Gardiner Expressway and the rail line from the west.
Coordinates43°38′03″N 79°25′31″W / 43.634087°N 79.425402°W / 43.634087; -79.425402
CarriesPedestrians and Vehicular
CrossesMetrolinx/GO Transit rail corridor
LocaleToronto, Ontario, Canada
Maintained byToronto Transportation Services
Characteristics
MaterialSteel and Concrete
Total length30 metres (98 ft) (rail bridge)
35 metres (115 ft) (overpass)
No. of spans2
Clearance above6.37 metres (20.9 ft) (rail bridge)
History
Construction start1911
1958
Construction end1912 (rail bridge)
1958 (overpass)
Opened1912
1959
Closed2013
Location

The Dufferin Street bridges are two inter-connected vehicular bridges in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The bridges carry Dufferin Street over a railway corridor and the Gardiner Expressway to Exhibition Place. The bridges closed to vehicular traffic in 2013. Temporary structures were built in 2013-2014 to allow a resumption of traffic in early 2014.[1] As of March 2019 the spans over the Gardiner Expressway remain in place and the bailey bridges replacing the older outer pedestrian bridges of the northern span with the inner vehicular steel plate box girder bridge still in place.

North span

The truss bridge is a 30 metres (98 ft) steel truss bridge, built from 1911 to 1912 to cross over railway tracks south of Springhurst Avenue. Four tracks pass under the bridge. A 2013 engineering study determined that the bridge was unsafe and not viable to be repaired.[2] However, in 2014, Bailey bridges were added for pedestrian traffic on the east and west sides, while the inner steel plate box girder bridge for vehicular traffic remains in place.

South span

The south span is a 35 metres (115 ft) concrete overpass built in 1958 after demolition of the old Dufferin Gate to allow for clearance for the Gardiner Expressway below.[3][4]

Deterioration and replacement

After a report from external inspections conducted in 2007 the city decided to replace both spans with a single span:[4]

  • 1911 steel plate girder bridge over rail corridor is structurally unsafe for vehicular traffic
  • lack space below to expanded rail corridor
  • need to provide space for future LRT corridor to the south end of the bridge
  • 1958 concrete bridge over Gardiner Expressway needs maintenance to keep it structurally safe
  • eliminate the existing 10 metres (33 ft) gap between the two existing bridges spans
Temporary north bridges

From June 2013 the bridges have been closed to vehicular traffic. In November 2013-early 2014, the north bridge superstructure were replaced by three temporary bridges - two for traffic, and a third for pedestrians. The temporary bridges were opened in 2014 and are still used as of September 11, 2021. [5]

Toronto tried deciding the type of bridge that will span over the tracks, but the decision was canceled as of September 11, 2021. [6] The four types were:

  • Steel plate box girder
  • Hung arch
  • Cable stay
  • Concrete box girder

References

  1. ↑ "Deteriorating Dufferin Street bridge to close for 18 months". Citynews.ca. 2013-06-03. Retrieved 2013-11-04.
  2. ↑ "Dufferin Bridges: Appendix E: Structural Options Evaluation" (PDF). City of Toronto.
  3. ↑ "A brief history of the Dufferin Gate at the CNE grounds". Blogto.com. 2012-01-28. Retrieved 2013-11-04.
  4. 1 2 "Dufferin Bridges: Municipal Class Environmental Assessment" (PDF). City of Toronto.
  5. ↑ "Dufferin Street Bridge Demolition and Installation of Temporary Crossing" (PDF). gordperks.ca.
  6. ↑ LEA Consulting Ltd. (10 March 2011). "Structural Engineering Evaluation" (PDF). Dufferin Bridge EA Study. City of Toronto. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 January 2016.
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