With the arrival of spring, work is ramping up on the City of Kingston’s $180 million third bridge crossing.
Starting Monday, crews will arrive to begin construction on the east and west landing points of the bridge that will span the Cataraqui River.
The shoreline work will begin a few months in advance of the actual in-water construction of the 1.2-kilometre bridge that will connect John Counter Boulevard on the river’s west side to Gore Road on the east side.
Drivers, cyclists and pedestrians will notice increased construction activity, while nearby residents will experience occasional noise in the daytime.
The on-shore work to be done includes:
- installation of construction fencing
- removal of selected trees
- hydro line relocation
- demolition of three (west shore) properties acquired for the bridge right-of-way
- delivery of site construction trailers
On the west side, a portion of John Counter Boulevard that runs from Montreal Street down to the river will be closed off to accommodate the work.
On the east side, city officials say there will be periodic closures of a pedestrian pathway that leads to a community garden and dog park near Gore Road and Highway 15. Access to Point St. Mark Drive from Gore Road will also have intermittent lane closures.
Workers will be on site directing traffic.
Crews say they need to remove several trees before migratory bird and bat seasons begin.
Financing for the bridge was secured last year when all three levels of government each committed a one-third, $60 million funding share.
The city has hired a private international team led by Peter Kiewit Sons ULC, Hatch Ltd. and SYSTRA International Bridge Technologies to design and build the fixed link that will be located midway between the LaSalle Causeway and Highway 401. The contract was awarded through a so-called integrated project delivery (IPD) model, believed to be a first-of-its-kind model in North America.
“It’s unique in this situation where the owner, the City of Kingston, is actively involved in both the design and construction phase working arm in arm with both the design team and the main contractor,” said Mark Van Buren the city’s project director.
A date has not yet been finalized to begin the in-water bridge work, but it’s expected in mid-summer. The work will take about three years.
“Pinning it down to an actual start date is still one of those refinements we’re still working on,” said Van Buren.
City officials have said the construction will involve a combination of a temporary work bridge and barges to install the piers and bridge decking.
The third crossing is a two-lane bridge and a multi use pathway that’s wide enough to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists. The fixed crossing has been touted as Kingston’s biggest infrastructure project in modern history.