Big Changes are Coming to the Burlington Pedestrian Bridge

Published April 19, 2019 at 5:02 pm

A recent Metrolinx blog post, written

A recent Metrolinx blog post, written by Nitish Bissonauth, Metrolinx bilingual spokesperson, media relations and issues specialist, has revealed that some big changes are coming to the Burlington pedestrian bridge.

This bridge, which according to the blog post, spans over the train tracks, will be replaced by a new structure.

This, according to Brent Madore, a project coordinator with Metrolinx, is something that is much-needed.

“The work is required because the bridge is nearing its life expectancy,” Madore said in the blog post.

This structure – a new bridge – will be fully accessible (it will be compliant with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act), and will improve connectivity over the rail corridor. In addition, it will provide room underneath for future electrified GO service.

The replacement of the old bridge will be part of the Lakeshore West GO Expansion project. 

The cost of this new bridge which has not yet been revealed, according to the blog post, will be shared by the city and Metrolinx.

However, a few design details have been revealed.

The bridge, along with being more accessible, will also be taller, and the sides and walls are expected to be transparent in order for pedestrians to see the rail corridor and any trains passing through.

The contract for the project is anticipated to be awarded later this year.

The project, notes the blog post, is expected to be completed by 2023.

The photo below shows what the new bridge could look like.

The current pedestrian bridge is one of the few railroad bridges that is still standing. And is often used by local residents to get to the Burlington GO station. 

The bridge also acts as a crucial link to other services in the city and has a long history with Burlington.

It has been around since 1972 and back in 2012, due to deteriorating and rusting metal, the bridge was considered to be unsafe to use. 

“It was closed and trips from Drury Lane to Orpha Street took 40 minutes as opposed to the normal few minutes on foot,” reads the blog post.

Following this, city council debated on removing the bridge as opposed to paying for the cost to extend its lifespan. 

However, with the help of a petition, and the support of local councillors, the bridge received some interim repairs which cost $380,000.

Photos are courtesy of Metrolinx.

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