Leslie Street Spit Floating Pedestrian Swing Bridge Returns to Operation following Structural Repairs

Toronto (May 18, 2021) – With necessary structural steel repairs now complete, PortsToronto is pleased to confirm that the Leslie Street Spit floating pedestrian bridge has returned to operation and pedestrian access to the endikement roadway leading to the east headlands of the Leslie Street Spit has been reinstated.

                                
 
In early February, the original 40-year old structure was removed from the site and transported to PortsToronto’s Works and Environmental Services facility in order to complete necessary structural repairs. While the original steel supports and handrails were in good condition and able to be salvaged, the bridge floats and wooden decking were heavily deteriorated and needed to be replaced as part of this rehabilitation project. To ensure its longevity and structural integrity, the entire bridge was re-welded, sandblasted and epoxy coated, and a new wooden decking for the pedestrian crossing, built of Douglas fir, was installed.
 
Once repairs were completed, the entire structure was returned to the Leslie Street Spit for final re-assembly, which consisted of re-bolting the structure to the bridge approaches on the east and west sides and making hardware adjustments to level the bridge. Now complete, this rehabilitation project will prevent unplanned maintenance/repair work on the bridge and will ensure a safe environment for park users.
 
The Leslie Street Spit floating pedestrian bridge serves to secure the third Confined Disposal Facility (CDF) via silt curtain that is installed on the bottom of the bridge, and to provide safe pedestrian traffic access to the endikement roadway leading to the east headlands.