Before the Skyway bridge was begun, my father built a Supertest service station and restaurant on the south end of the bridge just past and across the road from the amusement park. He sold the business when he heard about the new bridge! Many years later I was passing by and stopped in to visit the current owner of Skyway Lawn Equipment.We had a wonderful chat about the place and he showed me around. I was only about 4 years old when my Dad sold the business but I remembered quite a bit! I was also a junior member of the Burlington Yacht Club in 1958.
The tolls removed in 1973, 15 years after the bridge was built! We could have done the same thing with the 407 if the Mike Harris government didn't privatize it.
My grandfather Robert Ballantine was the crane operator that drove the pilings in that hold up that bridge. I proudly tell everyone that my grandfather helped build that bridge! I still remember when it was traffic both ways before they put up the second one beside the original.
The first time I was on it was 1963 going to the CNE from the Rochester area. That was the largest bridge I ever been on at the time. Thanks for showing
The fact the original span still stands today and just has needed rehabilitation but the core still remains says a lot about the standard of its construction!
My Dad worked for Dominion Bridge who constructed the central part of the Skyway (steel work) and was, for some time, an Engineer associated with the construction of the Skyway. Pretty proud of that.
Thank you for your interest in my channel. I video on the lift bridge would be interesting but getting images is going to be difficult to fill 2 minutes. I am also busy on another project at this time but will return to these videos later
The current lift bridge was built in 1960 I believe. It is a single span across the entire harbour entrance, about 300 feet long. Absolutely massive construction as it originally also carried a railroad track.
