Closed bridge connecting Toronto to Pickering causing traffic issues

A 109-year-old bridge over the Rouge River closed to traffic since July is causing some problems for Pickering commuters, with council expected to approve a letter calling for the City of Toronto to expedite matters.

Stott’s Bridge, located on Twyn Rivers Drive over the Rouge River (officially Bridge ID803), was closed to motorized traffic July 5 due to “safety concerns” discovered during routine inspections. Details on the safety issues identified were not disclosed.

The bridge, located on the Toronto-Pickering Border and under the jurisdiction of the City of Toronto, has remained will open for cyclists and pedestrians while Toronto engineering staff conducts further assessments.

“It’s leaving us with huge traffic chaos,” said Pickering Councillor Maurice Brenner, who drafted the letter. “We don’t have that many east-west routes and now it’s one less.”

Stott’s Bridge was built in 1915 and is part of the connection for Twyn Rivers Drive in Pickering with Sheppard Avenue in Toronto on the west. The bridge is located inside the Rouge National Urban Park.

The bridge passed inspection in 2020, though the condition of the structure was just considered ‘fair’ at the time by engineering staff.