Crawford Street Bridge
Encyclopedia
Crawford Street Bridge is one of two known bridges that once spanned over Garrison Creek
valley (the actual creek disappeared as brick sewer in 1885 ) in Toronto
, Canada
, and buried intact in the 20th century. The bridge shares design features with the larger Prince Edward Viaduct
.
The Crawford Bridge was a triple span Arch bridge
built in 1914 to 1915 to replace an early wooden bridge (1884) that spanned Garrison Creek in the area known today's as Trinity-Bellwoods. The bridge's design was influenced by Public Works Commissioner R.C. Harris with a more pleasing structure for the public. The bridge was built to allow residents in the new residential development along Crawford Street to cross over the valley over from north of Lobb Avenue to south of Dundas Street West.
In the 1960s the valley of either sides was filled in with earth dug from building the Bloor subway. It was the last of few bridges that spanned Garrison Creek to be removed, most before the 1940s. The actual bridge was not torn down, but rather buried with only the railings and lampost removed. The city performed maintenance work in 2004 work that narrowed the roadbed and rebuilt sidewalks on both side. Foaming grout was added to fill the voids of the bridge with hope for future restoration of the entire bridge. Today there are no visible signs of the bridge being present other than plaques and sidewalk markers added in 2008 by the city.
Once rolling landscape, houses and flat Trinity Bellwoods Park
now surround the bridge.
Garrison Creek
Garrison Creek was a short stream about long that flowed southeast into the west side of Toronto Harbour in Ontario, Canada.It has been largely covered over and filled in, but geographical traces of the creek can still be found. The natural amphitheatre known as Christie Pits is one such remnant;...
valley (the actual creek disappeared as brick sewer in 1885 ) in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and buried intact in the 20th century. The bridge shares design features with the larger Prince Edward Viaduct
Prince Edward Viaduct
The Prince Edward Viaduct System, commonly referred to as the Bloor Viaduct or the viaduct, is the name of a truss arch bridge system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada that connects Bloor Street East, on the west side of the system, with Danforth Avenue on the east...
.
The Crawford Bridge was a triple span Arch bridge
Arch bridge
An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side...
built in 1914 to 1915 to replace an early wooden bridge (1884) that spanned Garrison Creek in the area known today's as Trinity-Bellwoods. The bridge's design was influenced by Public Works Commissioner R.C. Harris with a more pleasing structure for the public. The bridge was built to allow residents in the new residential development along Crawford Street to cross over the valley over from north of Lobb Avenue to south of Dundas Street West.
In the 1960s the valley of either sides was filled in with earth dug from building the Bloor subway. It was the last of few bridges that spanned Garrison Creek to be removed, most before the 1940s. The actual bridge was not torn down, but rather buried with only the railings and lampost removed. The city performed maintenance work in 2004 work that narrowed the roadbed and rebuilt sidewalks on both side. Foaming grout was added to fill the voids of the bridge with hope for future restoration of the entire bridge. Today there are no visible signs of the bridge being present other than plaques and sidewalk markers added in 2008 by the city.
Once rolling landscape, houses and flat Trinity Bellwoods Park
Trinity Bellwoods Park
Trinity Bellwoods Park is located on the west side of downtown Toronto, Ontario Canada, bordered by Queen Street West on the south and Dundas Street on the north. The western boundary of the park is Crawford Street, running north to within a short block of Dundas, where the park extends further...
now surround the bridge.
See also
Other bridges that used to span Garrison Creek:- Harbord Street BridgeHarbord Street BridgeHarbord Street Bridge is one of two known bridges that once spanned Harbord Street over Garrison Creek in Toronto and was partially buried intact in the 20th Century ....
- Shaw Street Bridge - a wood bridge over Sully Crescent and Garrison Creek was filled in by the 1920s