Cherry Street lift bridge, Bascule bridge in Port Lands, Toronto, Canada

The Cherry Street lift bridge is a bascule bridge over the Keating Channel, the canalized mouth of the Don River at Toronto Harbour. Built in 1968, it has a metal mesh deck, two vehicle lanes and sidewalks on both sides, the west one widened to 3.6 metres in 1995.

A first wooden swing bridge at this spot was tendered in 1896 and funded by the Privy Council of Canada in 1900, with two 52-foot spans. It was replaced by steel drawbridges in 1912 and 1932. The present bascule bridge dates from 1968; in 1995 traffic was cut to one lane each way to widen the sidewalks, and it is now being demolished as the Cherry Street North bridges take over.

The bridge's name comes from Cherry Street, the road it carries across the Keating Channel at the canalized mouth of the Don River. The channel itself is to be kept for its historic value under City plans to renaturalize the river mouth, while a new channel is built to its south.

The bridge is easily accessible from the Port Lands and downtown areas. Both pedestrians and cyclists have their own routes, making crossing safe and straightforward.

The structure operates with a counterweight system that can lift the bridge in seconds when vessels need to pass through. This clever mechanism allows maritime traffic to flow without disrupting road transport for extended periods.