VIDEO: Simcoe Bridge over Highway 401 set to reopen soon

A drone-shot timelapse video on the project to fix up the Simcoe Street Bridge over Highway 401 shows the project nearing completion after nearly a year of work.

The bridge work is part of a plan to widen major arteries across the city. The project began last June when crews pulled down half the bridge overnight. It took six machines only about an hour to knock down the half of the structure, with clean-up and re-opening of the road taking up the rest of the road closure time.

The work for the construction also includes shoulder widening and resurfacing of the highway, construction of the Lviv Boulevard cul-de-sac and reconstruction of Lviv and Albert Street and Simcoe and Bloor Street intersections, installation of new storm sewers and water main and the re-alignment of the Michael Starr Trail.

Check out my full video of the Simcoe Street bridge demolition over the 401 this morning. #simcoestreet #oshawa #bridge #demolition pic.twitter.com/h7ddTnP5gC

— Colin Williamson (@ColinWxchaser) July 23, 2023

This was the beginning of what is expected to be more than a year of work. The project should wrap up between this fall and early next year. Since the project began, the highway and Simcoe Street have had to close several times.

However, these closures are usually late at night and over the weekend to reduce inconvenience for drivers. The bridge will next close on May 4 and 5 and reopened on May 6.

The bridge will be shut down next weekend as well from May 11 at 11 p.m. until May 12 at 7 a.m.