Glen Road Pedestrian Bridge & Tunnel Replacement

October 2024

The City of Toronto began the reconstruction of the Glen Road Pedestrian Bridge across the Rosedale Valley Ravine (also known as the Morley Callaghan Footbridge) and the pedestrian tunnel under Bloor Street East, in late November 2021 and was anticipated to be completed end of 2024.

However, due to changes to the electrical system standards, including updates to safety requirement, electrical design standards and specifications, a redesign of the electrical system during the construction process was required.  As a result, the electrical work, originally scheduled for early 2024, was delayed while the City’s contractor addressed the conflicts.

The overall project is now projected to be completed by spring 2025.

June 2024

TTC Sherbourne Station (Glen Road south) entrance will be closed during construction  (Thursday, June 6 at 7 a.m. through Thursday, June 13, 7 p.m., and Monday, June 17 at 7 a.m. through Saturday, June 22, 7 p.m.). These closures will be in effect continuously, including the weekend of Saturday, June 8 and Sunday, June 9.

During the Glen Road stairway closure to Bloor Street (south side), TTC customers should use Howard and Sherbourne Streets to access Sherbourne Station. For more information, call 416-393-4636 or visit ttc.ca.

November 2023

During the installation of the new bridge structure, Rosedale Valley Road will be fully closed from Park Road to Bayview Avenue for a total of two weekends for heavy crane operations.

Work will take place 24-hours a day for both weekends, with full road closures on Rosedale Valley Road (Saturday, December 2 at 12:01 a.m. through Monday, December 4, 6 a.m., and Saturday, December 9 at 12:01 a.m. through Monday, December 11, 6 a.m.).  Depending on weather conditions, additional time may be necessary to complete this work.  Changes to these closures will be announced on this webpage and communicated through project email updates.

See the Construction Update #4 for full details.

February 2023

• Construction Update #3 – February 17, 2023

January 2023

• Construction Update #2 – January 4, 2023

February 2022

• Construction Update #1 – February 14, 2022

November 2021

• A virtual Public Information Meeting was held on November 18, 2021 to present and update on the final design and provide an opportunity to ask questions about the upcoming construction.  View the Presentation , and Meeting Summary for details.

October 2021

• Construction Information Event Notice

The construction area, illustrated below, includes the Glen Road Pedestrian Bridge crossing the Rosedale Valley Ravine, the pedestrian tunnel under Bloor Street East, sections of Bloor Street East, and the public space south of the bridge on Glen Road.

Work Hours

Work will take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday to Friday, and Saturday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., with work after hours and on weekends as required.

Pedestrian Access

A temporary walkway is in place on one side of Bloor Street East while a full sidewalk is maintained on the other side, for the entire duration of construction for east-west travel.  During the bridge and tunnel closure, pedestrians are encouraged to use Sherbourne Street as an alternate route for north-south travel.

Cyclists

During construction the bike lane on Bloor Street East will be temporarily closed through the work zone.  Signs will be posed directing cyclists and drivers to share the lane, single file, through the work zone.

TTC Sherbourne Station at Glen Road (South)

Access to the Sherbourne Subway station entrance at Glen Road will be always maintained.  However, due to the bridge and tunnel closure, anyone north of Bloor Street West will need to access Sherbourne Station via Sherbourne Street.

Noise and Dust

The contractor is responsible to minimize construction related noise.  Higher levels of noise, vibration, and dust can be anticipated during bridge removal and replacement.

Parking

The impact to on-street parking will be minimal due to the construction activity associated with this project, more specifically on Bloor Street West (at the tunnel entrance and stairs) and on Glen Road North and Glen Road South.

Bike Parking

The existing bike rings on Glen Road South, adjacent to the Sherbourne Station entrance will be removed during construction.  Once work is completed, the contractor will reinstall these bike rings.

Restoration

The construction work area will be restored with sod, concrete and/or asphalt where required.  Interlocking bricks, flagstone on a granular base, or other similar features that are removed from public and private property during construction will be replaced.  Lawn seeding and/or laying of sod will be done as needed during ideal growing seasons only – in the spring (April to June) and fall (September to October).

Accessible Accommodation

The City’s contractor must ensure safe and accessible walkways and entryways are maintained for everyone during construction.  Any temporary access disruptions will be communicated as soon as possible.  If you experience a disruption, have a specific access need or related accommodation request, contact the Field Ambassador: 416-495-4254 or GlenRoadBridge@toronto.ca.

If travelling to the area, please be aware that:

• Bloor Street East will be limited to one shared lane of traffic in each direction from Sherbourne Street to Edgedale Road (250 meters west of Parliament Street) for people driving and cycling.
• Pedestrian access will be maintained throughout construction

This pedestrian-only structure between Sherbourne Street and Parliament Street, spanning the Rosedale Valley Road, provides a north-south connection from the north side of Bloor Street East to the intersection of Glen Road and Dale Avenue. Study area includes pedestrian tunnel.

Over a Century of History

For over 130 years, Glen Road has had a bridge over Rosedale Valley, connecting the community of Rosedale to the city. This study respects the importance of this historic connection and will give appropriate consideration to the cultural heritage value of the bridge structure. The bridge is listed on the City’s inventory of heritage bridges and is part of the South Rosedale Heritage Conservation District.

Transportation Services worked with Heritage Toronto to ensure the future of the bridge honours its history, and that heritage elements are preserved where possible.  A bylaw was enacted in 1992 to formally change the name of the Glen Road Footbridge to the Morley Callaghan Footbridge.

Environmental Assessment Study

Previous bridge rehabilitation was completed in 2001 and emergency repairs were completed in early 2015, with ongoing annual inspections to ensure the safety of the bridge.

The Glen Road Pedestrian & Tunnel Bridge Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (EA) study was completed in December 2017 and recommended:

• Replacement of the bridge in the same location with a new steel-girder structure with steel inclined legs
• Widening of the existing tunnel to the west and maintaining its current alignment
• Improved urban design and landscaping at north landing, south landing, and south of tunnel
• A barrier free access to connect Bloor Street East to the bridge was identified

Updates to the project since the completion of the study include:

• Determining a location and further development of a multi-use sloped path connecting the bridge and Bloor Street East (“barrier free accessible pathway”)
• Replacement of the existing staircase on the north side of Bloor Street East
• Public realm improvements on Glen Road south of Bloor Street East
• Addition of bridge barriers with integrated lighting
• Integration of public art by Couzyn Van Heuvelen on the tunnel walls and Glen Road south public space

To find out more about these updates, view the project’s second presentation to the Design Review Panel.

The public space at the end of Glen Road, south of the existing tunnel will feature:

• Larger and reconfigured public space with pavers
• Relocated and expanded planting area
• Extension of the east sidewalk to support the mobility needs of people of all ages and abilities
• Measures to enhance public safety

Detailed Design Consultation

A virtual community meeting was held on July 8, 2021 to present an update and provide an opportunity to ask questions about the design details

• Presentation
• Meeting Summary 

Glen Road Pedestrian Bridge B-Roll and Images

Video footage of the Glen Road Pedestrian Bridge in October 2022 before it was demolished.

If you require assistance in reading these materials, please contact the Field Ambassador, 416-495-4254 or email GlenRoadBridge@toronto.ca.

The City’s Economic Development & Culture division carried out a public art competition in the summer of 2019 and Inuit artist Couzyn Van Heuvelen’s proposal was selected.

Art Concept

The project is centred around the theme of migration and travel, and references Inuit stonecut printmaking techniques and stone carving.

Tunnel Walls

Metal birds silhouettes on the outer tunnel walls continue the shapes and colors used in Inuit printmaking on walls that are not being re-cast.

Construction Timeline

The bridge and tunnel were closed in March 2022 with the start of the current construction.  Construction was originally scheduled to be completed by the end of 2023.  Due to several issues encountered on site, the construction completion is now scheduled for summer 2024.  Both the bridge and tunnel will be closed for the entire duration of construction.

Construction Hours and Noise

The construction hours will be Monday to Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.  There will be overnight work, as well as Sundays and Statutory holidays, as required.  The exceptions are removal of the existing bridge and construction of the new bridge using heavy cranes, which is expected to occur around the clock over two weekends in December 2023.

Impacts to Bridge / Tunnel Users

As the pedestrian bridge and tunnel will be closed, an alternate route will be in place: north / south along on Glen Road, east/west on Maple Avenue and north/south on Sherbourne Street. There will be advisory signage in place.

Impacts to Road Users on Bloor Street East

During construction, one shared travel lane in each direction for people driving and cycling will be maintained on Bloor Street East.  Cyclists and motorists will need to share the road during these times.  Uninterrupted pedestrian traffic will be maintained on both sides of Bloor Street East.

Impacts to Road Users on Rosedale Valley Road

Traffic lanes on Rosedale Valley Road will remain open, except during removal of the existing bridge and construction of the new bridge using heavy cranes, in which Rosedale Valley Road will be closed entirely from Park Road to Bayview Avenue for a total of two weekends (Saturday and Sunday).  Depending on weather conditions, additional time may be necessary to complete this work.

Access to Sherbourne Station

Both entrances to Sherbourne Station will remain open throughout construction. Due to the closure of the pedestrian bridge and tunnel, people walking from north of the Rosedale Valley will need to access the station via Sherbourne Street.

Tree Protection and Removal

Due to the nature of this project, 127 City trees will need to be removed from the Rosedale Valley Ravine and the City’s boulevard in order to carry out the work.  Tree removals have been reviewed with the City’s Urban Forestry Division.  Over 400 new trees and 1000 new shrubs will be planted.  Existing trees adjacent to the construction site will be protected.  The contractor has plans to begin tree removals south of the tunnel in Spring 2024.

Parking Impacts

During construction, approximately 8 pay and display (metered) parking spaces will be affected on the south side of Bloor Street East, adjacent to the stairs above the tunnel entrance.  In addition, roughly 3 on-street parking spaces will be removed on Glen Road (North) during Phase 1 construction, and approximately 3 on-street parking spaces on Glen Road (South) will be removed for Phase 2 construction.  These 3 spots on Glen Road South will not be restored, as the space is required for the new public space.

Redesign Process

A Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (EA) study was completed to determine the design solution. The study report (December 2017) recommended: replacing the bridge in the same location with a structure similar in appearance to the existing and replace and widen the tunnel to the west (following the current alignment); identifying areas for improved urban design and landscaping: north landing, south landing, and south of tunnel; and a need for a barrier free access to connect Bloor St. East to the bridge. All these elements were further defined and developed during the detailed design process.

Public Space Maintenance

Maintenance of any new elements within the City’s Right-of-Way will be the responsibility of the City.

Winter Bridge Maintenance

The bridge will be maintained during the winter. De-icing salts will be used. The pedestrian bridge deck will be completely waterproofed with a high performance waterproofing product. This type of material provides a durable wearing layer for skid resistance. Premium reinforcement, Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP), will also be used in the bridge deck to prevent salt-induced corrosion as de-icing salts are used during winter maintenance.

Public Art

Economic Development & Culture (EDC) carried out a public art competition in the summer of 2019 and Inuit artist Couzyn Van Heuvelen’s proposal was selected. The project is centred around the theme of migration and travel, and references Inuit stonecut printmaking techniques and stone carving.

Public Art Vandalism Mitigation

The City is committed to and responsible for the ongoing maintenance of the Public Art collection, which is done under the direction of the City’s public art conservator.  Anti-graffiti coating is required for all components of this project.