Bridge leading to Cherry Beach expected to remain upright for ‘several weeks:’ PortsToronto

A main bridge on Cherry Street that leads to Cherry Beach and other destinations in Toronto’s Port Lands is expected to remain upright and closed to traffic for “several weeks” as repairs continue, officials say.

The 92-year-old Ship Channel Bridge was damaged in late April and was initially supposed to be closed for only “a few days,” but the reopening kept getting pushed back.

Officials with PortsToronto, the government identity that helps oversee activities in the Toronto Harbour, said “critical” repairs and a structural analysis by engineers of the bridge’s main shaft and lifting mechanism were needed.

“Sourcing of supplies and parts for the repair has begun, and it is expected that repair work will occur over the course of several weeks,” an update posted on the agency’s X account Monday morning said.

“During this work, the bridge will remain in the upright position for safety reasons. We will continue to provide updates on the repair as details become available.”

CityNews contacted PortsToronto to ask for additional information on the scope of the issues, but a representative wasn’t immediately available.

The Ship Channel Bridge on Cherry Street is the main access to Cherry Beach. For visitors looking to get to the area, they need to travel nearly three kilometres east to Leslie Street, south to the end of the street, and west on Unwin Avenue.

With files from Michael Talbot

May 13: Structural analysis on the damaged main shaft and lifting mechanism of the Ship Channel Bridge is complete. Sourcing of supplies and parts for the repair has begun, and it is expected that repair work will occur over the course of several weeks. During this work, the…

— PortsToronto (@PortsToronto) May 13, 2024