Ontario Construction News staff writer
Stantec has been selected to oversee the replacement of two key bridges crossing Black Creek at Jane Street and Scarlett Road in Toronto. The project, valued at $12.5 million, will include preliminary and detailed design, as well as the tendering and construction phases.
The scope of work will include slope stabilization, channel improvements, roadway modifications, bikeway enhancements, utility relocations, restoration of public trails and park amenities, and the installation of public art.
“Replacing the bridges at Scarlett Road and Jane Street are an important piece of the overall flood mitigation approach for Rockcliffe-Smythe,” said Peter Erceg, project manager, Stantec. “With these improvements we will help make the community more resilient, while improving transportation connections to the surrounding city.”
The Rockcliffe-Smythe area in Toronto, the city’s most flood-prone neighborhood, was developed post-World War II on land near rivers and within floodplains. The community has experienced significant flooding events in recent years, with major incidents occurring in 2013, 2019, 2020, and 2024. Flooding is often triggered when Black Creek and Lavender Creek overflow during extreme storms.
To mitigate these risks, the project will widen and deepen flood channels, and replace critical bridges and culverts. This flood mitigation effort will work in tandem with the city’s Basement Flooding Protection Program, in which Stantec has played a key role in three of six projects across various neighborhoods.
Both bridges will be widened during reconstruction to accommodate better cycling and public spaces for the community. At Jane Street, an 11-meter concrete arch culvert will be replaced with a 55-meter single-span bridge, complete with raised cycle tracks in both directions.
The Scarlett Road bridge, currently 15 meters, will be replaced by a 30-meter higher single-span bridge, with upgraded cycle tracks enhancing existing infrastructure. To minimize disruptions, construction will be carried out sequentially, starting with the Jane Street bridge, followed by the Scarlett Road bridge.
A wide range of expertise will be utilized, including structural, civil, and traffic engineering, landscape architecture, electrical engineering, and environmental engineering.
Stantec is active on multiple resilience and transportation projects across the Greater Toronto Area, including the Gardiner Expressway Rehabilitation Section 4, the Ontario Line, the Hazel McCallion Line, and the rehabilitation and reconstruction of 63 bridges across the city.
Since 2019, Stantec has been part of the team monitoring construction of the Don Mouth Naturalization and Port Lands Flood Protection project—one of the biggest infrastructure projects in Toronto’s history.
