Construction is underway on Pickering’s landmark pedestrian bridge. The extended steel span will be installed in March, with the full completion expected by this fall. It could not be more appropriate that Pickering’s Bicentennial year of 2011 will mark the advent of its iconic and figurative bridge to the future.

This fully enclosed bridge will span 250 metres across Highway 401, Canada’s busiest highway, and will be accessible to both pedestrians and cyclists. Additionally, it will link the Pickering GO station to a newly constructed Class ‘A’, LEED-Silver office tower and a 500-vehicle GO Transit parking deck located on the south lands of the Pickering Town Centre.

The federal and provincial governments are financing $10 million of the project through the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund. Metrolinx is making a further investment of $12.5 million so that the bridge can truly become an icon of engineering and sustainability.

It should also be noted that the bridge will be a study in design. The structure will be wrapped in a metallic, mesh-like skin, giving it a fluidic and organic appearance. LED lighting will illuminate the bridge at night, making it a luminous beacon that will signify where Pickering and Durham Region begin.

Pickering’s downtown has been designated an ‘Anchor Hub’ by the Province of Ontario. As such, this multi-million dollar structure will play a significant role in connecting the City to other key transportation networks, and will serve as a catalyst towards downtown Pickering’s dramatic transformation.