[FAW]

i followed with interest the thread started by Lone Primate on lost roads/indian line. i was reminded about the bailey bridge that was placed over the humber river to temporarily replace the bridge washed out by hurricane hazel in 1954. it remained in use until the mid 1980's when the 427 was completed to just north of the humber river. recently i went out to photograph another bailey bridge on finch avenue east that is still in use. adma also pointed out in that thread that at least two others still exist, one in its original location on the abandoned right of way for don mills road south of overlea and still in use as a pedestrian bridge, and the pedestrian bridge across the lakeshore at the c.n.e.

my question to the forum is how many of these were installed and where?

 

[CDL.TO]

There's also the one currently closed to car traffic but open to courageous cyclists and pedestrians on Unwin in the Portlands.

 

[adma]

Oh yeah, forgot about that one...

 

[ShonTron]

The GO Station at Exhibition had a pedestrian bailey bridge until the tunnel was finished about 10 years ago or so.

 

[Kitsune]

There's also the one currently closed to car traffic but open to courageous cyclists and pedestrians on Unwin in the Portlands.

Couargeous? Atleast is has railings - way better then what I was riding over in Banff area. And, isnt the city finally going to repair it this fall? I thought I read that in the fixer.

 

[jmacmillan]

A new bridge is to be built for cyclists, and the trail extended east to the main entrance at Tommy Thompson Park. I don't know why it's taking so long to repair the original Bailey bridge. Ironic, considering its claim to fame is that it can be built quickly with hand tools (e.g., ford rivers for military vehicles)..

 

[CDL.TO]

Couargeous? Atleast is has railings - way better then what I was riding over in Banff area. And, isnt the city finally going to repair it this fall? I thought I read that in the fixer.

The pedestrian walkway on the side is rickety, uneven, and too narrow for two cyclists to pass each other. The main roadway section has its road surface missing for a pretty large section, so you have to cross on some loose planks. Overall, it's in a pretty terrible condition and I think most people will feel apprehension when crossing it.

I don't know why they are even planning to fix or replace it. The channel it crosses is quite short, they should just re-route Unwin around it to the north.

 

[junctionist]

I recall a high school geography trip when we drove over that bridge in a coach bus .

 

[FAW]

There's also the one currently closed to car traffic but open to courageous cyclists and pedestrians on Unwin in the Portlands.

thank-you CDL.TO and ShonTron for the info. i didn't know about the one on unwin and i remember the c.n.e. bridge over the train tracks. it might be safe to say that the two that were at the c.n.e. must have seen duty elswhere before being installed there.

 

[Observer Walt]

Not exactly "in Toronto", but there is a Bailey bridge over the Credit River in Forks of the Credit Provincial Park, up in Caledon. Carries pedestrian traffic only, but it's the real thing, complete with an interpretive sign. The army installed it, a few years ago.

 

[adma]

Brand new, or did it come from elsewhere?

 

[Observer Walt]

Not sure. I don't believe the sign said anything about that. As I recall, the sign gave a bit of the history of the Bailey Bridge. It was invented by an engineer named Bailey (!) during the Second World War and proved to be useful in replacing bombed-out bridges. Bailey was knighted for his efforts.

 

[DSC]

The City told me last week that they are about to award a contract to fix/replace the bridge on Unwin. There will (as JMacMillan says above) be two bridges. One for cars and one, further south, nearer the lake, for cyclists and pedestrians. The cycle/pedestrian one will be connected properly to the Martin Gardiner trail and there will be 'appropriate' landscaping and a look-out. They told me the cycle bridge would be finished by September and the road bridge by the end of 2008.

 

[adma]

Unless the existing Unwin Bailey's too unsound to keep, might it see use in Leslie Spit or something? (Come to think of it, are there/have there been any Baileys there, on the Spit?)

 

[DSC]

The contract for the new Unwin bridges - one road, one bike/pedestrian - has just been awarded. See http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/2008/agendas/committees/bd/bd080730/it002.pdf The job will, apparently, be done by late fall.