This weekend, construction will reach a milestone on the Lower Don Crossing, a new bridge for Ontario Line 3 that will be pushed into its permanent position over the river and the Don Valley Parkway. The junction is located immediately west of the future East Harbor GO and Ontario Line station south of Eastern Avenue and will accommodate two additional sets of tracks to the East Harbor interchange, a new station also currently being built by Metrolinx and served by GO Trains, Ontario Line 3 and TTC intercity routes. The new bridge, designed by HDR, is part of the expansion of the rail corridor to six tracks in this area. Before construction there were three tracks. Currently only two tracks will be opened as the work progresses. These two services, which have hosted GO and VIA rail services for years, will share a new fourth track over the existing bridge over the Don, while Ontario Line 3 trains will cross over the new bridge.
View southwest of the Lower Don Crossing with other rail and expressway infrastructure in the area, designed by HDR for Metrolinx
Work this weekend will focus on the lateral displacement of the eastern half of the Lower Don Crossing over the Don Valley Parkway, requiring full closure of portions of the DVP and Gardiner Expressway from this evening into early Monday morning. Preparatory work over the past few weeks has included deploying the assembled bridge span, installing temporary works, conducting inspections and coordinating crane and access equipment. UrbanToronto last provided an update on the station’s groundbreaking in June 2025.
The eastern half of the new Lower Don Crossing is seen below this past weekend, fully assembled and prepared for upcoming lateral movement across the Don Valley Parkway. The steel bridge superstructure rests on temporary supports on the river bank; the decking is already in place. A large red lattice boom crane stands in the center, while in the lower foreground an orange telescopic boom lift provides elevated access for crew members.
Looking west, the eastern half of the Lower Don Crossing is raised on temporary supports ahead of its planned relocation over the Don Valley Parkway, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Kotsy
Looking northeast, one can see the side-by-side bridges spanning the river corridor. While the new bridge rests on temporary supports, orange construction equipment is parked on the deck. Below, traffic continues along Don Valley Parkway, with the weekend closure allowing that section to move east. In the east, the work zone expands into a staging area for equipment and materials as well as temporary access routes for the construction of the future train station. Orange plans indicate construction of an underpass for the future extension of Broadview Avenue further south.
Looking northeast, construction vehicles are lined up on the deck of the Lower Don Crossing, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Kotsy
Meanwhile, further east, just behind the future train station, preparatory work to widen the rail corridor across Eastern Avenue continues. Formwork, shoring and frames under the future infrastructure are in place, the active work areas are highlighted by further orange tarpaulins, safety nets and weather protection. A mobile crane is positioned at the southwest corner to handle material placement and construction as crews work within the confined Eastern Avenue underpass. Above, active GO and VIA rail tracks are positioned in the easternmost portion of the corridor.
Looking southeast, extensive temporary work and shoring is visible under the eastern approach as crews prepare the bridge tie-in, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Kotsy
Looking north from a passing GO train recently, crews could be seen completing final prep work on the Lower Don Crossing’s steel superstructure, with access equipment and personnel spread out along the deck, in the days leading up to the planned repositioning. An orange articulated boom lift on the left transports a worker while other crews work on the slope.
Looking north at ground level, crews use work platforms to complete final prep work on the steel superstructure of the Lower Don Crossing, image by Hefter, an UrbanToronto Forum contributor
Once the bridge relocation is complete, attention will turn to work to connect the crossing to the expanded rail corridor and to the construction of the East Harbor station itself. The DVP and Gardiner closures are scheduled to end on Monday, February 2nd. Traffic will then resume as work continues above and around the corridor to create one of the GTA’s most significant new transit hubs in the coming years.
Looking southeast at the upcoming East Harbor Transit Hub, designed by HDR for Metrolinx
UrbanToronto will continue to monitor the progress of this development, but in the meantime you can learn more in our database file linked below. If you’d like, you can join the discussion in the associated Project Forum thread or leave a comment in the designated area on this page.
* * *
UrbanToronto’s research and data service, UTPro, provides comprehensive data on construction projects in the Greater Golden Horseshoe – from proposal to completion. Other services include instant reports, downloadable snapshots based on location, and a daily subscription newsletter, New Development Insider, that tracks projects from the first application.​