The City of Kingston is anxiously awaiting word on whether a major traffic artery will be open before as many as a half-a-million people descend on the community to watch a total solar eclipse.
The federally owned LaSalle Causeway, which connects downtown Kingston to Pittsburgh Township near the mouth of the Cataraqui River, did not reopen Monday as planned after it was closed for scheduled rehabilitation work over the weekend.
Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson says that while city officials are working on a plan to improve traffic flows should the LaSalle Causeway remain closed to drivers, cyclists and pedestrians Monday, ultimately the bridge’s fate is out of the city’s hands.
“At the end of the day, we are going to do the best that we can with what we have,” Paterson tells Global News.
“It is clearly, not ideal — that causeway needs to be repaired and reopened as quickly as possible.”
Public Services and Procurement Canada said that on Sunday an “element of the bridge was compromised during construction.”
There’s been no word from the federal government on when the causeway will reopen.
The closure leaves just two options for anyone looking to cross the river — travelling north to Hwy 401 or using the Waaban Crossing — and it comes as the city has already warned of the possibility of hours-long traffic jams as people try to leave following the eclipse.
The city has previously asked residents to avoid driving and suggested locals watch the eclipse from close to home as anywhere between 70,000 and 500,000 visitors are expected in the city for the rare celestial event.
Road closures are also planned to make sure routes to the hospital remain open, officials have said.
Paterson said the city so far isn’t considering declaring a local state of emergency — something officials in the Niagara Falls region have done — but, he added, emergency planning is ongoing.
“We do understand and expect that there are going to be a large number of visitors coming — that’s why we are doing planning,” he said, pointing to viewing sites spread out through the city and planned road closures.
“It is a day to celebrate, but ultimately we’ve also been very clear that people need to be very patient, and probably should try to avoid any unnecessary travel around the community if they can avoid it, just because of the increased traffic.
“And now, if the causeway is in fact going to be closed, that’s only going to heighten the importance of, obviously, whatever people can do to minimize your travel.”
Paterson said the city remains in “constant communication” with the federal government about when the bridge will reopen, but so far, says all they know is what’s been publicly released.
“Regardless of whether we’re looking at an eclipse day, we need to get that causeway fixed and back into operation as soon as possible,” he said.
The causeway is used by an estimated 23,000 vehicles every day, according to data from the federal government.
The ongoing construction project will see the bridge deck replaced as well as restoration work on the structure’s trunnion steel and counterweight, federal officials have said.
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