Demolition of Belleville’s Catherine Street Pedestrian Bridge gets underway next month.
The pedestrian bridge across the Moira River has been shut down for a number of years.
Construction has been delayed, awaiting federal government approvals.
Last year, the city was given the go-ahead by Fisheries and Oceans to get into the water and begin the $3.7 million new bridge.
Senior Engineer Kartik Suresh tells Quinte News the bridge will be torn down and upgraded.
“It is going to be wider. There are going to be arches on the bridge, similar to the lower (Bridge Street) bridge. So it is going to be much more aesthetic. There’s going to be also lighting.”
Suresh adds, “Work can only occur from July until the fall, to protect the fish habitat in the Moira River … The Department of Fisheries (and Oceans) and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry basically control the environment in the Moira River and we are only allowed to do in-water works from July to September 15 or October. In that window.”
“So that we don’t, you know, damage like fish habitat. Because there are some species at risk in the Moira River over here. One of them is the Channel Darter.”
Also Suresh said, “So you know, we’re not really allowed to harm any of their habitat and have to provide a better habitat for them once construction is done.”
“Basically the work we’re going to be doing is demolishing the entire bridge, the piers and abutments and constructing new piers and abutments. The timeline for this work is between July and December this year. Then next year we’re going to come back in the spring and complete the super structure construction which is the bridge. That’s the lighting, the paving. The bridge is going to be complete by October 2022.”
