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As we get closer to its construction completion date, Downtown/West is set for a new pedestrian and cyclist bridge which will connect Fort York to King West. Called the Garrison Crossing, the structure rises above the same train tracks that have created a physical barrier between Liberty Village and King West.
Combined with the King-Liberty bridge, the Garrison Crossing marks a key connection between north and south. After both bridges have been erected, pedestrians will be able to walk into Liberty Village from either east via the Garrison Crossing or west courtesy of King-Liberty bridge.
The 7.75-acre triangle of land that is centred in the middle of the Garrison Crossing will eventually play host to a public park, though for the time being remains empty. Unlike any other bridge in Canada, the Garrison Crossing is a stainless steel masterpiece. Seeking to connect communities like Liberty Village with surrounding neighborhoods around the waterfront and Fort York areas, expect to see a lot more foot traffic coming in and out for events, meet-ups, and more.
Liberty Village has grappled with traffic and infrastructure challenges from day one. Bicycle and pedestrian solutions will certainly help to alleviate an already gridlocked downtown core.
You may notice that the Garrison Crossing is composed of two separate bridge structures. The first was hoisted into place this past July, 2018 and the second was done so in the early fall. The bridge is a part of the Ordinance Triangle, a new mini-neighborhood of condos, businesses, and excitement happening immediately next to Liberty Village.
The Garrison Crossing is being overseen by CreateTO, on behalf of City government. The bridge itself is the result of a construction led by the Dufferin Construction Company and is designed by the engineering firms Pedelta, DTHA, and AECOM. Upon completion, you’ll find wooden handrails and concrete decks included. Length-wise, it’s almost as long as five football fields, spanning from Wellington Street to the Fork York grounds!
Having been planned for years, it’s exciting to see it finally coming together. For anyone living north of Liberty Village and working here, it’s going to be much easier getting to and from. Now it’s just a hop and a skip over the Kitchener rail corridor and the Lakeshore West rail corridor.
The Garrison Crossing also opens up new business opportunities surrounding it, providing more accessibility to different TTC options, and allows access to pedestrians and cyclists coming to and from either side of the tracks.
It goes without saying, but there is a lot of very interesting projects planned for the region which have the potential to completely transform the small collection of neighbourhoods which surround Toronto’s highways in the west end.
The Garrison Crossing is scheduled for completion in 2019. When it is finally opened, there won’t be a bridge like it anywhere else in Toronto. The positives of the Garrison Crossing Bridge are numerous for Liberty Village. The newest bridge in the west end of Toronto should prove favourable to Liberty Village residents who have been seeking for more ways in and out.
