The 56-year-old Cherry Street lift bridge over the Keating Channel will be demolished in the coming days, though part of the structure may live on.

Constructed in 1968 near the channelized mouth of the Don River, the bridge carried traffic on Cherry Street until early 2024, when two new bridges opened as part of the street's realignment roughly 50 metres to the west of its former position.

The rerouting of Cherry Street primed the existing lift bridge for its upcoming demolition, which was previously anticipated to begin before the end of 2023, but is now scheduled to commence as early as Monday, according to Waterfront Toronto.

The aging bridge's imminent demolition comes after years of technical issues. A 2006 inspection revealed that the bridge required more than $2 million in repairs. Thirteen years later, in August 2019, the bridge was locked in its lifted position for several weeks before a crane was eventually called in to assist in lowering it back to its horizontal position.

Plans to tear down the bridge included a total demolition and scrapping of the structure and all of its components. However, it appears one key element of the bridge might be saved following efforts by community members pushing for preservation.

The old Cherry Street bridge will soon be demolished. But it would be wonderful if @WaterfrontTO saved that remarkable viewing platform. It would be a great placemaking feature for the new Villiers Island. Retweet or tweet to them if you agree! pic.twitter.com/htpHLZYj96

— Dylan Reid @dylanreid.bsky.social (@dylan_reid) March 7, 2024

In response to a popular post on X about the bridge's impending demolition, Waterfront Toronto stated that there may indeed be a future for the bridge's elevated control tower, an enclosed concrete room raised high above street level via a staircase, giving the structure a floating appearance.

To achieve flood protection, the bridge and the tower’s foundations must be removed, which is scheduled to begin next week. We will explore whether the control tower can be dismantled and safely stored for future consideration by our partners @CityofToronto, @_CreateTO.

— Waterfront Toronto (@WaterfrontTO) March 7, 2024

Julie Bogdanowicz, an architect working as a Senior Urban Designer at the City of Toronto, compares the structure to the Russian Constructivist style of architecture.

Saying goodbye to the Old Cherry St bridge, and my dear friend the viewing booth. Now decommissioned. The booth always reminded me of the best Russian Constructivist Architecture. Easily the most dynamic building or folly in the city. pic.twitter.com/5ZP707gn4d

— Julie Bogdanowicz (@juliebwicz) March 6, 2024

The Globe and Mail's Dave LeBlanc also chimed in on X in favour of preservation, calling the control tower "a significant piece of industrial Modernism." Leblanc asks, "Why not put some of those old-fashioned coin-operated binoculars in there and allow people to go up and see the sights?

The lift bridge is the smaller of two in the Port Lands, the other being the Cherry Street Strauss Trunnion Bascule Bridge, which crosses the Ship Channel to the south.

The bridge set to be demolished is actually the third moving bridge in this location, following a wooden swing bridge that existed into the early 20th century, and a steel drawbridge in place until the mid-20th century.