Old Finch Avenue Bailey Bridge

The Old Finch Avenue bridge is a Bailey bridge in Toronto. The Finch bridge is used for limited vehicular traffic on Old Finch Avenue in north-east Toronto to cross the Rouge River. The bridge dates back to late October 1954; it was constructed by the Canadian Army in three working days (including the timber piles supporting in mid-stream) using bridge components from Ontario Hydro, after Hurricane Hazel destroyed the old one. This bridge was built for single traffic; it is now controlled by traffic lights.

Old Finch Avenue Bailey Bridge
Old Finch Bailey Bridge
Coordinates43°49′31″N 79°11′49″W
Carriessingle lane vehicular traffic
CrossesRouge River
LocaleScarborough, Ontario, Canada
Maintained byToronto Transportation Services
Characteristics
Designbailey bridge
Total length40 metres (130 ft)
Clearance belowRouge River
History
Constructed by32 Combat Engineer Regiment, Canadian Army
Opened1954

The bridge is considered an historic landmark in Toronto,[1] where the City of Scarborough council has erected a plaque beside the bridge which reads:

BAILEY BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION 2ND FIELD ENGINEER REGIMENT
On October 15, 1954, Hurricane Hazel struck the Scarborough area with terrifying force, severely damaging or completely washing out several bridges. To maintain a safe flow of traffic throughout the Municipality, a number of Bailey Bridges were erected by the 2nd Field Engineer Regiment of the Canadian Military Engineers. This bridge is the last of those remaining in service in Scarborough. This plaque serves to commemorate the efforts of the 2nd Field Engineer Regiment in meeting this natural disaster.[2]

There are two other Bailey bridges in the Greater Toronto Area:

References
  1. "Bailey Bridge Construction 2nd Field Engineer Regiment". Toronto's Historical Plaques. Alan L Brown. Retrieved 2010-01-09.
  2. Scarborough City Council. "BAILEY BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION 2ND FIELD ENGINEER REGIMENT". Commemorative Plaque. Retrieved 2010-01-09.

See also
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