Iconic landmark near Toronto lands spot in the Guinness World Record books
The iconic Pickering pedestrian bridge has landed in the record books, declared by the Guinness World Records as the longest enclosed pedestrian bridge in the world.
The $38 million dollar bridge that has become a landmark in the city east of Toronto crossing Highway 401 earned the record after being measured at 250 meters in length.
“We knew we had something special and we couldn’t find another one around the world that was the same length and that made us think we should see if it’s the longest and sure enough, it is,” Metrolinx spokesperson Anne Marie Aikins told CTV News Toronto on Tuesday.
The whole process took over a year to complete, with Metrolinx recently receiving confirmation from Guinness World Records, said Aikins.
An independent engineer measured the pedestrian bridge’s length from end to end, while a Metronlix official witnessed it. The whole process was recorded and later verified by Guinness officials after it was submitted.
“I see this bridge every single day when I drive by the highway and so it’s pretty exciting to know that,” engineer Oama Big, who works nearby, said.
“What really interests me the most is it runs right across one of the largest highways in all of North America and also its unique architecture,” he said.
The bridge was completed in 2018 and is considered a feat of engineering, crossing 14 highway lanes, six live rail tracks and a city road.
It provides easy access for transit users, connecting the Pickering Go Train station in the south to the Pickering Town Centre, offices, regional transit and college campuses in the north end.
“When we wanted this bridge built, we wanted the Go station to Pickering and what we’ve done here is connect Pickering to the world,” said Mayor Dave Ryan.
“This was something that was conceived back in 1993 and it took a number of years for that happen.”
The world record has caught transit users who cross the bridge by surprise.
I thought that there were bridges bigger than this so I’m pretty surprised,” Emily Dunseith said.
“I remember before it was built, so it’s really cool that something in Pickering is well known. It’s really awesome.”
The bridge’s iconic architecture is highlighted at night with close to 300 LED lights.
This Guinness World Record is not the first accolade for the GTA bridge. In 2019, it earned the City of Pickering’s Urban Design Award and the Engineering News Record Global Best Projects Award in the tunnel/bridge category.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.