Sewells Road Bridge

Sewells Road Bridge
Sewells Road Bridge
	Sewells Road suspension bridge on a late fall afternoon
Coordinates	43°49′39″N 79°11′59″W / 43.82754°N 79.19962°W
Carries	single lane of traffic on Sewells Road
Crosses	Rouge River
Locale	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Maintained by	Toronto Transportation Services (1998-present); Scarborough Works Department (1912-1997)
Characteristics
Design	Single-decked suspension bridge
Total length	50 metres (160 ft)
Width	single lane
Clearance above	4.1 metres (13 ft)
Clearance below	approximately 4.0 metres (13.1 ft)
History
Opened	1912
Location

Sewells Road Bridge is a single direction suspension bridge that carries vehicular traffic north and south on Sewells Road over the Rouge river in Toronto. The bridge is unique as it is one of only a few suspension bridges found in Ontario, and one of the shortest vehicular applications (most suspension bridges are used to span major waterways or valleys).

History

Completed in 1912, it was designed by Milton born Toronto civil engineer James Franklin Barber (1876-1946) and Lewis Construction.^[1] It is the only suspension bridge in Toronto. The bridge likely provided the only means to cross the Rouge in north Scarborough when it was built. It is located not far from another important bridge crossing the Rouge, Old Finch Avenue Bailey Bridge.

Current

The bridge remains in use (with restoration in 1981^[2]) and is listed in the city's list of historic structures (one of 15 bridges).^[3] Two single cables holds up the 50 metres (160 ft) bridge with loads under 5 tonnes (5.5 short tons) and is maintained by Toronto Transportation Services.

An historic plaque was added after 1981 to provide details on the bridge's history and unique value.^[4]

References

^ Denenberg, David. "1912 Sewell's Road". Bridgemeister.com. Retrieved 2012-02-01.
^ "Sewell's Road Bridge - Toronto, ON". Waymarking.com. Groundspeak. Retrieved 2012-02-01.
^ Dodge, Val (2007-06-22). "Toronto's only suspension bridge". Dodgeville. Retrieved 2012-02-01.
^ Brown, Alan L. "Sewell's Road Bridge 1912-1981". Toronto's Historical Plaques. Retrieved 2012-02-01.

[1] Denenberg, David. "1912 Sewell's Road". Bridgemeister.com. Retrieved 2012-02-01.

[2] "Sewell's Road Bridge - Toronto, ON". Waymarking.com. Groundspeak. Retrieved 2012-02-01.

[3] Dodge, Val (2007-06-22). "Toronto's only suspension bridge". Dodgeville. Retrieved 2012-02-01.

[4] Brown, Alan L. "Sewell's Road Bridge 1912-1981". Toronto's Historical Plaques. Retrieved 2012-02-01.

[1]

[2]

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v t Bridges in Toronto
Crossing the Rouge River	Old Finch Avenue Bailey Bridge Sewells Road Bridge
Crossing the Don River	Cherry Street lift bridge Gardiner Expressway Old Eastern Avenue Bridge Queen Street Viaduct Gerrard Street Bridge Dundas Street Bridge Prince Edward Viaduct Rosedale Valley Bridge Leaside Bridge Sheppard Avenue Bridge
Pedestrian	Amsterdam Bridge Humber Bay Arch Bridge Lake Shore Boulevard Bailey Bridge Old Finch Avenue Bailey Bridge SkyWalk
Other bridges over waterways	Cherry Street Strauss Trunnion Bascule Bridge Vale of Avoca Bridge Governor's Bridge
Other	Crawford Street Bridge Dufferin Street bridges Harbord Street Bridge Sir Isaac Brock Bridge

Sewells Road Bridge

History

Current

See also

References

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