The city of Kingston has announced it has received approval on its detailed impact assessment for the third crossing project, which means in-water construction can now begin.
Construction of the long-awaited bridge was meant to begin in the summer, but elements like public consultations and environmental assessments had yet to be completed.
“With investment secured from all levels of government, the provincial environmental assessment completed, and now the federal detailed impact assessment in place, the significant preparation pieces are done,” Mayor Bryan Paterson wrote in a statement for the announcement.
“We’re now ready to move forward with construction, full-steam ahead.”
The $180-million bridge is being funded by all three levels of government, with the final piece of the funding puzzle delivered last February in the form of a $60-million pledge from the federal government.
Since then, although crews have been busy on the shoreline, not much in-water work has been done. The city says this is because the necessary steps, like the detailed impact statement, had to be completed.
The city said a detailed impact statement is “the most intensive form of environmental review conducted through Parks Canada’s regulatory process.”
It’s through this review that Parks Canada could analyze the environmental impact the bridge will have on the surrounding region.
The city is expecting to release the final version of this assessment on Friday on their online engagement platform, along with a summary of the comments received during the 30-day public consultation period.
Now that the city is permitted to work in the water, they noted that nearby neighbous should expect an increase in construction in the coming weeks.
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