The rehabilitation work on the Rouge River bridge is projected to add another 20 years to the life of the historic bridge, said a Metrolinx statement.
The rehabilitation project was scheduled to wrap up in spring, but is now in its final stages (see below).
Work on the rehabilitation of the Rouge River Bridge and tracks was begun on November 26 night. However, a fatal incident on the night of November 27 at the works in Pickering resulted in a temporary stoppage of work for a Ministry of Labour investigation.
Metrolinx did not say what will happen after the 20-year life extension.
Heritage Value
Connecting Toronto and Pickering, and spanning the mouth of the Rouge River, the 117-year-old Rouge River bridge is an important part of the Lakeshore East GO Line, which is the second busiest route on the GO Network.
The bridge was originally slated for full replacement as part of the larger GO Expansion project, but since the bridge is listed as a provincial heritage property Metrolinx decided to rehabilitate the bridge, instead of replacing it, it said.
The bridge’s structure has heritage value because of its ashlar stone masonry substructure and steel deck truss superstructure. This refers to the stone that supports the bridge on either side of the river, and the steel structure that supports the train tracks that run across the bridge. The bridge is just one of a few remaining railway bridges in Toronto and its surrounding area that features this characteristic early railway bridge construction.
Given the age of the bridge and its provincial significance, Metrolinx has been working closely with a number of stakeholders, including Parks Canada, to consult on construction issues, such as access, fencing requirements, and construction laydown area (which is an area on the construction site used to temporarily store, receive or assemble equipment or other supplies).
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