A newly upgraded Bloor Street rail bridge is one step closer to completion.

Four steel girders were installed during a recent overnight road closure on Bloor Street West in Toronto.

For nearby residents, the road was closed overnight to make sure it was safe for construction teams to get the work done.

As part of the closure, crews installed the secondary steel and secured the bridge in place, which is captured near the end of the new timelapse video. Take a look – the video moves quickly:

This work is part of the Davenport Diamond Guideway project, which supports GO Expansion to help bring more frequent, all-day service in both directions on the Barrie Line.    

Here’s a before and after look at the girder work on the bridge.

Shorter installation time using girder combinations

The four steel girders weigh just under 19 tonnes each and measure 22.7 metres long, 0.5 metres wide and 1.2 metres in height.

They began their journey in Quebec City at the fabrication facility, travelling almost 800 km from the plant to their new home above Bloor Street West.

The construction and fabrication teams combined the four girders into two sets of two, which helped to reduce installation time and minimize road closures.

Heavy lifting and installation were completed by a Liebherr LTM 1300–6.2 crane, boasting a 300-tonne load capacity and a 70-metre telescopic boom.

Improvements for road users and pedestrians

Once the work is completed in 2023, the new Bloor Street bridge will feature a 5-metre clearance, an increase of one metre over the old bridge providing additional route options for taller vehicles.

Another benefit of the new bridge is the removal of the median pillars which will provide additional space on the road.

What’s next?

The team will now focus on remaining minor work including backfilling the abutments (the structures at each end of the bridge), waterproofing the bridge deck, installing ballasts, and installation of the track infrastructure.

After this part of the bridge work is complete, trains will be switched over to the new tracks on the new bridge half. Work to demolish and rebuild the last half of the old bridge section will follow.

For more information on the Davenport Diamond Guideway project and to get the latest updates, sign up for the Toronto West weekly e-blast here or follow the project @GOExpansion.

Residents can also connect with the community relations team at TorontoWest@metrolinx.com.