New Garrison bridge connects people and parks in Toronto’s Fort York area

Garrison Crossing — a new bridge linking parks in the downtown area of Toronto — officially opened to residents on Tuesday.

City officials say the bridge will make it easier for pedestrians and cyclists travelling from Trinity Bellwoods Park to the Fort York Grounds.

“I’m proud to officially open this important piece of active transportation infrastructure that will connect key downtown communities,” Mayor John Tory said.

The stainless steel bridge is the first of its kind in Canada, he said.

“Garrison Crossing is a critical city-building initiative for our growing downtown,” Cressy said.

“It will create a vital connection from the Fort York and waterfront neighbourhoods to communities north of the rail corridor.”

The two-bridge structure spans two rail corridors in the downtown core.

The 52-metre northern bridge structure spans from the South Stanley Park extension over the Kitchener rail corridor and lands on the north side of Ordnance Triangle Park. The 49-metre southern bridge structure spans from the south side of Ordnance Triangle Park over the Lakeshore West rail corridor, landing in the grounds of the Fort York National Historic Site.

Toronto Chief Planner Gregg Lintern boasts that with the new bridge, it now takes just nine minutes to get from King Street to the Bentway — the linear park underneath the Gardiner Expressway.

Construction of the new bridge began in the fall of 2016.