For anyone who lives in downtown Toronto, Etobicoke or Humber Bay Shores, the Humber Bay Arch Bridge is that well-known and beloved landmark. As much as the Toronto skyline is a revered site for all of those living in the area, the Humber Bay Arch Bridge is well known for its breathtaking design and construction.

The Humber Bay Arch Bridge connects much more than two sides of the river. It continues a more than 1400-kilometre-long path connecting dozens of communities from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie and the St-Lawrence River. It connects Humber Bay Shores and the community of Etobicoke to downtown Toronto. 

Finally, it connects the present to the past by building upon a rich trade history and cooperation among the First Nations and early settlers. Worked into the very structure, First Nations symbolism and art play a prominent role in the masterpiece, the Humber Bay Arch Bridge.

The Ojibway First Nations regularly hunted and fished these areas, among other tribes. The Humber River was their highway. They would use it to travel upriver, as far as Georgian Bay and Lake Simcoe, to do commerce with other First Nations and many of the early settlers who built their homes upriver. 

The Humber Portage, otherwise known as the Toronto Carrying-Place Trail, played a pivotal role in the early development of the area. This was a widely used portage route that connected Lake Ontario to the other northern Great Lakes, including Lake Simcoe. 

The name Toronto is originally derived from the Indigenous word "Tkaronto", which means "the place where the trees grow over the water." This is relevant because the First Nations that lived on Lake Simcoe had planted rows of trees as a weir, a dam-like structure that alters the flow of the river, to help with their fishing efforts in the area.

Because of the fishing, hunting, trading and socializing the First Nations and early settlers did together, the Humber Bay Arch Bridge and the surrounding area are culturally significant. This history is on display in the design of the bridge. 

Arch bridges have been used for well over 2000 years. The Romans built arch bridges all over their empire for everything from aqueducts to roads. The fact that some of these still stand today, more than 20 centuries later, shows the durability and strength of the arch bridge design.

So, what exactly makes this design better than other bridge designs?  

• They can span larger distances than regular flat-beam bridges. This is due to how the arch structure handles the dispersion of the weight that crosses it.
• They can typically be built for less money than flat beam bridges that need to span the same distance.
• They can be built out of almost any material. Combinations of concrete and steel are the most common today, but stone and wood were once also common materials for arch bridges around the world.
• They become stronger over time. The settling of the ground at the ends of the bridge serves to make the bridge more robust rather than weaker.
• They do not distort. If an arch bridge is built correctly, its shape will not be distorted over time.
• The Humber Bay Arch Bridge was designed by the esteemed firm of Montgomery Sisam Architects, based in Toronto. Delcan Corporation, as bridge engineers, partnered with them on the design.  

The bridge was constructed off-site by Sonterlan Construction and shipped in pieces, which were then put together and placed over the river. Concrete caissons dive over 30 meters into the ground, connecting to bedrock, ensuring the bridge's stability for decades to come. 

In the end, the Humber Bay Arch Bridge cost for the construction and placement of the bridge was slightly over $4,000,000. Considering its iconic status as one of the most beautiful bridges in the GTA, the investment was well worth it.

What happens if you want to get to the bridge but don't have a car? There are many options to get down there. 

• Walking: You can take the Martin Goodman Trail from the east end of the Humber Bay Park E trail from the west and walk right up to the bridge.
  
  
• Bus: You can catch either the 66, the 77 or the 80 bus to make it to areas near the bridge.
  
  
• Streetcar: If you are trying to get to the Humber Bay Arch Bridge by streetcar, hop on the 501 or the 508, and it will take you to the Humber Bay Loop, which is steps away from the bridge. (Update: the 508 streetcar was temporarily suspended as of March 24, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic)
  
  
• Subway: TTC Subway Line #2 has stops along the west side of the route that will connect you to buses that will take you to stops in and around the Humber Bay Shores region, including the Humber Loop at The Queensway.
  
  
• Train: If you are taking the train, the GO Transit's Lakeshore West line (LW) will bring you the closest to the bridge with a stop at Mimico station, where you can grab a bus or streetcar to bring you to Humber Bay Shores.

If you do happen to be driving your car, the closest major intersection is Park Lawn and Lakeshore. As for Humber Bay Arch Bridge parking, there are many options near the bridge. The Humber Bay Shores parks have ample parking space, although in the summer, they are very busy, and there is a charge for parking between May and November. If you are looking for a parking garage, companies like Parkvel have all of the available parking garages in the area listed online.