Pottery Road is a busy traffic route that splits the leisure trail that runs through the Don River Valley in Toronto. This A588 weathering steel project is the first step in a large-scale reconstruction plan for the Don River Valley Trail, which aims to improve the accessibility of the valley and the environmental controllability of the trails downstream of the Valley.
The A588 weathering steel project uses controlled and identifiable road islands to replace street crossings that have been used frequently but lack safety in the past. The weathering steel project site has been designated by the Toronto Area Protection Agency as an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) and is part of the natural heritage system of land along the Toronto River Basin.
The original intention of Toronto's Pottery Road Bicycle and Pedestrian Weathering Steel Crossing Project was to promote safe and convenient diversified modes of transportation, and to promote public understanding of the ecology and industrial history of cities around the Don River Valley. At the same time, the project is also committed to strengthening its supervision of this ecological axis that runs through the city center.
The pavement of the crossing is designed with a water pattern, suggesting that the area is often threatened by floods. At the same time, the Plant Architect team also focused on designing security information identification systems, such as "Please look at both sides" and "Please wait for a gap". The identification information is engraved on the weathering steel fence crossing the street. The choice of guardrail materials and the graphic oversized font carved on the weathering steel plate all show the industrial tradition of the Don River Valley, showing the style of industrial ruins.
