Residents of Toronto's Liberty Village neighbourhood will soon be more connected to King Street and the rest of the city.

The City of Toronto has announced that construction on the King-Liberty pedestrian cycle bridge, which was initially approved by city council in 2011, will begin early this summer.

Jeff Dea, manager of infrastructure planning for the city, says the bridge will be a "key connection."

"It's going to let people in Liberty Village get out to the north more easily so that they can access the King streetcar for example, and communities to the north like Queen West," Dea said in an interview with CBC Toronto.

"Vice versa, people coming into the area to work are going to be able to access King-Liberty from King West more easily."

So far, he said, the bill for the project is approximately $11.5-million, but the final cost will vary depending on their successful construction bid.

'Convenient and more direct route'

The planned pedestrian cycling bridge will stretch across the Metrolinx train tracks to connect Liberty Village to King Street West. (City of Toronto) The bridge will stretch above the Metrolinx rail corridor and across Douro Street, south of King Street, to the western edge of Western Battery Road into the centre of Liberty Village.

​Liberty has been been characterized as an isolated community with few entry points. As of right now, the only ways into the area is via Strachan Avenue, Atlantic Avenue, or through the Exhibition GO Station tunnel.

On its website, the city says the bridge will provide a "convenient and more direct route"between Liberty Village and King Street West.

Construction of the bridge is expected to be completed by the summer of 2019.

'I'll believe it when I see it'

Residents of Liberty Village took to social media after getting notices about the development last week.

In a Liberty Village Facebook group, some members expressed their excitement with comments like, "Praise Jesus hallelujah," and "the age of miracles is upon us."

"I'll believe it when I see it," said said another, sceptical like many others.

Many residents of Liberty Village took to social media to express excitement, and scepticism about the bridge project. (Facebook)

Dea claims he doesn't see any reason for the project to fall behind schedule.

"We've been planning this for a number of years and we're actually quite close," he said, adding the city has an approved budget and expects to award a contract by the end of May. With the current schedule, he said, construction should start mid-June.

Bridge design

On the project's website, the city says the bridge design includes the following:

Bridge will be fully accessible with staircases (with bike channels) and elevators on both sides,

​24-hour access to the bridge,

All passageways will be illuminated,

Security measures, such as cameras, open stairs, and emergency call buttons will be in place,

Public art will be included in the design of the glass for the elevator towers at both ends.

The pedestrian bridge will be fully accessible with stairs and elevators on both sides. (City of Toronto)

Some restrictions to come

Work on the bridge will take place from 7 am to 7 pm., Monday to Friday, with work after-hours and on weekends as required.

The city says it will have to remove 26 trees from the area, but about 84 new trees and shrubs will be planted as replacements.

Some roadway and sidewalk restrictions will be required on Douro Street and Western Battery Road during portions of construction, but no closures are expected to King Street West or other neighbouring major streets.

On-street parking will be restricted near the work areas, with reduced parking space available on both Douro Street and Western Battery Road. The project is not anticipated to effect or cause change to any local TTC or GO Transit services.