Leaside Bridge (Confederation Bridge) | |
|---|---|
 The Leaside Bridge from the ravine | |
| Coordinates | 43°41′57″N79°21′01″W / 43.699065°N 79.350356°W /43.699065; -79.350356 |
| Carries | 6 lanes of vehicular traffic, 2 bike lanes and sidewalks for pedestrian traffic |
| Crosses | Don River |
| Locale | Toronto,Ontario, Canada |
| Other name | East York-Leaside Viaduct |
| Maintained by | Toronto Transportation Services |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Truss bridge |
| Total length | 1,443 feet (440 m) |
| Clearance below | Don River Valley andDon Valley Parkway |
| History | |
| Designer | Frank Barber |
| Opened | October 29, 1927 (1927-10-29) |
| Statistics | |
| Toll | No |
| Location | |
 Interactive map of Leaside Bridge (Confederation Bridge) | |
TheLeaside Bridge, formerly theEast York Leaside Viaduct, and officially commemorated as theConfederation Bridge, is atruss bridge that spans theDon River in the City ofToronto,Ontario. Carrying six lanes of Millwood Road, it was built to connect the then Town ofLeaside, includingThorncliffe Park, to the then Township ofEast York, and was completed on October 29, 1927. The construction time of only 10 months was record breaking at the time.[1]
During the 1920s, as the new communities surrounding Toronto grew rapidly, several bridges were constructed to overcome the barrier of the Don Valley. Among these were the Vale of Avoca (St. Clair Avenue east ofYonge Street) and the East York – Leaside Viaduct. The town of Leaside, built byCanadian Northern Railway in the late teens and early 1920s, sought to attract investors and homebuyers. A connection over the Don Valley to the town ofTodmorden Mills and on to Toronto would provide this.
Sod was turned in mid-December and active construction began in January 1927[2] under the direction of bridge designer Frank Barber. The bridge was rapidly assembled throughout the spring and summer, and inaugurated on October 29 as the Confederation Bridge, in honour of the sixtieth anniversary of that event. The tiled mosaic handrail was designed by New York architect Calude Bragdon with tiles supplied by Italian Mosaic and Tile Company.[3]
In the late 1960s, as the first of numerous plans appeared to extendLeslie Street south ofEglinton, plans were initiated to widen the bridge to support six lanes of traffic. The bridge was closed beginning September 16, 1968, and reopened February 8, 1969.[4] Girders were attached to the sides of the bridge to widen the deck to either side[3] and the piers were reinforced on the corners to carry the additional weight. The expanded bridge had guardrail consisting of a concrete barrier topped with a double tubular railing, considerably plainer than the original decorative parapets.
Between 2004 and 2006, the bridge was rehabilitated.[3] The second of two contracts to rehabilitate the bridge was awarded in 2005 and included the restoration of the decorative handrail from the original 1927 design.[5][6]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
| Crossing theRouge River | |
|---|---|
| Crossing theDon River | |
| Pedestrian | |
| Other bridges over waterways | |
| Other | |
