The Harbord Street Bridge is one of two known bridges that once spanned Harbord Street over
Garrison Creek in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
and was partially buried intact in the 20th Century (the other is the
Crawford Street Bridge to the south).
The Harbord Street Bridge was a single span reinforced concrete
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. A viaduct ...
built from 1909 to 1914 that carried Harbord over Garrison Creek in the area known today as
Palmerston–Little Italy and for the extension of Beatrice Street to Bloor Street West. The bridge was built to allow the better means for people in the new residential development to move around the neighbourhood. The bridge crossed over the creek over from
Montrose Avenue to
Grace Street. The bridge bisects the Bickford Park neighbourhood with Bickford Park to the north side and Harbord Park (Art Eggleton Park) to the south. Infilling of the area around the bridge began in 1917 and both sides were filled by the 1930, likely due to sewage being dumped into the creek following residential development,
Garrison Creek
/ref> but the balustrades on either side were still exposed. Today, only the northern balustrade remains visible. Like the Crawford Street Bridge, it was not torn down but buried. The bridge, the valley, and the creek have all now disappeared underground.
See also
* Crawford Street Bridge
References
External links
hidden gems: Crawford & Harbord bridges - Burying your bridges
Picture of new bridge and new homes nearby
Harbord Street Bridge at Bickford Park Ravine, November 22, 1913
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Bridges in Toronto
Deck arch bridges
Concrete bridges in Canada