This landmark structure is one of the largest enclosed footbridges in the world, traversing six railway lines and the 14 lanes of traffic of North American’s busiest highway. Inspired by the perpetual dynamism of highway traffic and railway lines, the bridge’s sculptural perforated metal scrim acts as a glimmering shading device during the day and as a glowing line of coloured light over the highway at night, transforming what would have otherwise been a mundane piece of infrastructure into a dynamic urban gateway.
AWARDS
2021 Guinness World Record – Longest Enclosed People Crossing
2020 The Plan Awards – Infrastructure – Shortlist
2019 City of Pickering Urban Design Award
2019 Engineering News Record (ENR) – Global Best Projects Award – Tunnel / Bridge Category
Aerial view of the Pickering GO Pedestrian Bridge looking west toward the downtownToronto skyline. The bridge traverses 6 railway lines and 14 lanes of traffic across Highway 401, North America’s busiest highway, and to connect the Town of Pickering to its main transit hub. Photo by Michael Muraz.
Photo by Michael Muraz.
Photo by Michael Muraz.
Photo by Michael Muraz.
View of the Pickering GO Pedestrian Bridge at dusk. Programmable LED lighting animates and accentuates the curved form of the metal scrim – giving it movement and shimmer in the night sky. Photo by Michael Muraz.
Photo by Michael Muraz.
Photo by Michael Muraz.
Photo by Michael Muraz.
View of the bridge from the train platform. Design considerations were made to balance formal aesthetics with maximizing views for the pedestrians minimizing possible distractions to drivers (from either material glare or pedestrians), functional openings for stairs, and material bending limitations of metal panels. Photo by Michael Muraz.
Interior view of the bridge. The bridge provides a vital pedestrian connection to the regions primary transit hub and between the north and south sides of the City of Pickering. Photo by Michael Muraz.
Interior view of the bridge toward Highway 401. The sculptural perforated metal scrim acts as a glimmering shading device during the day and as a glowing line of coloured light over the highway at night. Photo by Michael Muraz.
Photo by Michael Muraz.
Detail view of the perforated metal scrim. The curve profile of the metal scrim at each bridge section was digitally generated and tested to reach a pleasing form that would meet the function requirements, and within the physical parameter of standard standing seam metal panels.
Photo by Michael Muraz.
Detail view of the perforated metal scrim. Inspired by the perpetual dynamism of highway traffic and railway lines, the bridge’s streamlined curvilinear metal enclosure was digitally modelled and refined in 3D to capture the sense and vision of speed through surface modelling. Photo by Michael Muraz.
Detail view of the perforated metal scrim. The fully digital 3D design and documentation process allowed the metal scrim model data to inform the shape of steel framing, simplifying the what would have otherwise been onerous structural design and fabrication process. Photo by Michael Muraz.
