Cherry St. bridge is down after a month of being stuck in vertical position

EXTENDED: Cherry St. bridge is lowered Nearly a month ago, the Cherry Street bridge was raised and never came back down.

The Cherry Street bridge has finally been lowered after it was raised nearly a month ago and never came back down.

The bridge directly connects beachgoers to the Port Lands and allows them to travel across the Keating Channel to Cherry Beach and Clarke Beach Park. It has been stuck in a lifted position since early August due to a mechanical failure.

The city originally said they would lower the bridge on Wednesday, but the process was delayed due to a failed winch. By the time the replacement part arrived, the winds were no longer favourable.

The Cherry Street bridge is slowly lowered on Aug. 29, 2019. (Peter Muscat/CTV News Toronto)

The process began Thursday late morning and involved a crane and winch system. Around 1 p.m., the bridge had been lowered completely and was locked into place.

Safety inspections still need to be conducted by engineers before pedestrians and vehicles are allowed to use the bridge. Traffic will continue to be diverted down the Don Roadway, Carlaw Avenue and Leslie Street.

The 51-year-old bridge was set to be replaced in the next 18 months, but the city has now determined that it will need to be fixed prior to that process.

The city hopes to reopen the bridge shortly after Labour Day.