While it hasn’t stopped work on Kingston’s largest infrastructure project, COVID-19 has posed challenges with constructing the $180-million third bridge crossing.
Despite the pandemic, though, Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson says the work continues.
“I think it’s full speed ahead but a different type of speed,” Paterson told Global News. “So obviously you’re having to adapt, you’re having to make changes, making sure physical distancing is in place, but things can continue on”
“We’ve got a bridge that we have to build and so the team that’s on site has been doing a great job of adapting as needed like many other people in the community are as well.”
As far as the work that’s currently taking place, on Kingston’s west side there’s a temporary rock causeway making its way to the other side. Mark Van Buren is the city’s manager of large infrastructure projects.
“That involves basically the repetitive placement of rock fill that is going into the river again, trying to build up that material to create a causeway that is a driving surface,” Van Buren explained.
It’s a different story on the Pittsburgh or east side, where a temporary trestle bridge is being worked on. Van Buren says that part of the project has been going on for a few weeks now.
“And will continue to go on through into the summer before that work is completed,” he said.
Van Buren says there are 17 people currently working on the site, which, according to him, is the right sized workforce for what’s being done at this time.