Railway development.

Projected lines, surveys, construction, betterments, etc.

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Yonge Street bridge.—The C.P.R. is taking steps to test the legality of the order to compel the erection of a bridge over the tracks at the foot of Yonge street, Toronto, and from all appearances there is considerable confusion as to the present position of affairs. The matter originally came before the Railway Committee of the Privy Council, which decided that the bridge was necessary, but had not issued the order when it was abolished and its duties taken over by the Board of Railway Commissioners; then there was a special act of parliament declaring the bridge matter to be one vested in the Governor-in-Council. An order was made directing the erection of the bridge, work to be commenced Oct. 15, but it was not issued until after that date. Nothing is likely to he done until the tangle is straightened out.

The plans for the bridge which the G.T.R. and the C.P.R. have been directed to build across the tracks at the foot of Yonge street, Toronto, were prepared in the office of the City Engineer, by J. Williams, M.C.S.C.E., assistant City Engineer. The illustrations of the bridge, given on page 9, show the three central spans over the tracks, the north and the southern approaches, together with a cross section near the centre. The total length of the bridge and approaches will be 880 ft., of which the steel work will be 595 ft. long and the masonry work of the approaches 285 ft. The bridge will be 56 ft. wide over all, having a roadway 38 ft. in width, and two sidewalks each 9 ft. wide on the approaches and deck spans, and 6 1/2 ft. wide on the through spans. It will be composite in character, consisting of three deck spans about 140 ft. on the northern approach, three through spans 92 1/2, 125 and 82 1/2 ft. respectively, over the tracks and sidings of the railways, and three deck spans, about 150 ft., on the southern approach. The clear height of the centre span is 21 1/2 ft., while at the side spans of the through spans it is slightly lower. The northern approach is planned to start from the south side of Front street, and is carried on concrete masonry walls for about 150 ft. It has a gradient of 3 1/3%, while the gradient at the end of the southern approach at Lake street, also carried on concrete walls for 140 ft., is 6%, the centre span being level. For foot passengers who wish to pass from the bridge to Harbor Street, an 8 ft. stairway has been planned on the west side of the bridge. The superstructure will be supported on steel columns, on concrete piers resting on piles. It is proposed to make the bridge deck of a permanent character, the roadway and sidewalks to have asphalt surface, and asphalt and wooden blocks on a concrete foundation; the pavement between the street railway tracks to be square cut wood blocks, also on a foundation of concrete. The whole of the concrete foundation and asphalt and -block surface is to be supported by steel buckled plates, riveted to floor girders and stringers.

In connection with the erection of this bridge it would be necessary to secure some small pieces of land on the east side of Yonge Street, south of Front, and to make some alterations and improvements on Lake Street. Among the suggested improvements are the filling in of the present basins around the foot of Yonge Street, and the building of new wharves several hundred feet further out into the bay, so that another street could be formed running west to York Street. In this way traffic coming over the bridge would be brought to the wharf level by an easy gradient. (Dec., 1904, pg. 431.)

Railways: C.P.Ry., G.T.Ry.

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