This is an unusual bridge among the Lower Don bridges. It is not used for any vehicle or pedestrian traffic. It is a non-descript steel box about 3m high and 5m wide. It crosses the river just south of the Lakeshore railway bridge. According to my sources, it is used to carry critical hydro lines across the river.
Old Eastern Avenue bridge. According to Wikipedia this bridge was built in 1933 to replace an earlier one that was damaged by a spring ice jam. In 1964 the bridge was closed when the Don Valley Parkway was built. Nowadays it is only used by some street people who hang out underneath the deck. If you look closely you'll notice a brown circle mounted on the south side of the bridge. This is a leftover from an art project mounted in 2008. The artists removed most of their work but left this remnant which is sure to puzzle passersby long after I'm gone.
This bridge is owned by Enbridge (formerly Consumers Gas) and contains a 30" (0.76m) gas main. A recent Environmental Assessment recommended that the sides of the bridge be opened up to increase flow through space in the event of a Hurricane Hazel style flood.
5 comments:
I have never heard the theory that King Street was realigned and if you look at old atlases (Goads 1910 for example) there is no sign it was. I think the unused bridge at Eastern Avenue was built as the Eastern Avenue bridge.
The "north King Street bridge" is for gas pipes. The Wikipedia entry is TOTALLY wrong, and has been edited!
There is a photo (and description) of the Enbridge Utility Bridge on page 12 of the West Don Lands EA. http://www.waterfrontoronto.ca/dbdocs//447e5a85d179a.pdf Whoever wrote the Wiki entry was SERIOUSLY off base!
Someone, not me, has edited the Wiki entry and it's MUCH better. I suggest you adjust your interesting (as always) article. The (unused) Eastern Avenue Bridge was never the King Street Bridge.
I updated this post to reflect new information. Thanks to all who helped get it straight (and update Wikipedia).
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