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Ship Channel Bridge – Out of Service

01/05/2024

Toronto (May 1, 2024) – The Ship Channel Bridge is currently out of service and will be locked in the upright position until Monday, May 6 as critical emergency repairs are completed. During this time, Cherry Street will remain closed for vehicular and pedestrian traffic south of Polson Street. Members of the public and all Port users can still use Unwin Avenue (base of Leslie Street) to access the Port and Cherry Beach.

The Ship Channel Bridge initially sustained hardware damage on April 22. Follow-up inspection on initial repairs confirmed that the main shaft of the bridge is bent, which has the potential to cause a full failure of the lifting mechanism. This mechanism is an original, 92-year old part of the bridge and is scheduled to be replaced and/or rehabilitated as part of the final stage of an ongoing rehabilitation project led by PortsToronto and the City of Toronto, which has been underway since March 2022. See further detail below.

Background on the Revitalization of the Ship Channel Bridge
In March 2022, PortsToronto in partnership with the City of Toronto began a major rehabilitation program to modernize the ageing Ship Channel Lift Bridge, a vital piece of infrastructure supporting Toronto’s supply chain that was originally constructed in 1931. Through this project, PortsToronto and the City of Toronto, will restore and revitalize the Ship Channel Lift Bridge, a vital element of marine and vehicle transportation infrastructure enabling the transfer of cargo from the Port into the City of Toronto and surrounding area.

In March 2024, the project reached the substantial completion of Phase 1 – the rehabilitation of the bridge’s north and south roadway spans. Phase 2, scheduled to begin in late 2024, will restore the bascule lift bridge structure and replace end of life mechanical and electrical lift systems. The majority of this work is limited to the winter months when the Ship Channel Bridge is not operational. It is expected that the overall project will be completed in 2027.

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