There’s nothing more satisfying than waking up early to fit in a big workout, right?

Especially if that big workout includes lifting a 25 metre piece of metal more than three storeys off the ground.

This past weekend, a dedicated crew were up before the crack of dawn to lift some serious weight. Instead of dumbbells, they were raising an impressive new bridge into place just as the sun came over the horizon.

This was no simple feat. The span is nearly the length of two GO buses and weighs more than six African elephants. It had to be lifted 15 metres in the air and placed precisely in the right spot.

After more than two hours, the work was done. But there’s still a lot more to do before customers step foot onto the new bridge.

This is a major milestone for Kipling GO station -part of the massive redevelopment of this area. The new and improved station will integrate TTC subway, GO regional rail, and multiple bus services (GO, TTC, MiWay) into a single mobility hub. The newly installed pedestrian bridge over the train tracks – complete with elevators – will connect the new bus terminal to the GO train platform below.

Scheduled for completion by the end of 2020, the new bus terminal is being built in phases to minimize impacts to commuters and the community.

If you didn’t know better, you would think Metrolinx is in the business of building bridges, not just improving transit.

In the past year, Metrolinx has constructed new pedestrian bridges at Union Station, Cooksville GO station, and now you can count Kipling GO station on that list too. It’s all part of massive improvements to create better infrastructure in the Greater Golden Horseshoe.

Building new transit is vital to creating thriving communities, just like exercise is the key to staying in good shape. Think of these new bridges as part of the transit workout our region needs to stay strong.