A century-old Bascule bridge that makes up part of Kingston’s LaSalle Causeway will have to be demolished, according to the area’s member of parliament.
In a post on social media Tuesday night, Kingston and the Islands MP Mark Gerretsen said a laser survey of the span, which was damaged on March 30 and has remained closed to vehicles since, has determined it’s necessary to scrap it.
“Demolishment means removing the entire existing bridge structure from the navigation channel,” he wrote, adding the crossing’s age was another factor weighed in the decision.
“This will require both an interim (temporary modular bridge) and long-term replacement (new moveable bridge) solution.”
Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), the federal department responsible for the causeway, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Spokesperson Jeremy Link sent an email saying PSPC is aiming to share a public notice Wednesday, but did not elaborate on what it would be about.
In his post, Gerretsen said he was providing the public with information ahead of PSPC’s official release.
He added the department will be issuing two requests for proposals: one for the demolition of the bridge and another for a replacement.
The ‘singing bridge’
The causeway is an important link between downtown Kingston and the city’s eastern suburbs. Roughly 23,000 vehicles cross it every day.
Part of the crossing is a Bascule bridge, which uses a heavy counterweight to lift and allow boats through. PSPC said a steel truss that supports the weight was damaged while work was underway to fix it.
Some in the city referred to it as the “singing” or “humming” bridge because of the sound it makes when vehicles drive over it.
In the comments under his Facebook post, Gerretsen said he was “trying to imagine my daily drive home without” that sound.
Residents have been waiting for updates and wondering what will become of the bridge for weeks, while enduring traffic congestion at other crossings in the city, especially during rush hour.
Tour boat companies with vessels trapped on the wrong side of the causeway have been pushing the government for solutions. One operator previously told CBC it was forced to cancel cruises costing the him more than $350,000.
On May 15, the causeway reopened to pedestrians, the first traffic allowed across it in more than a month.
At the time, PSPC said it was looking at making repairs in a phased approach, with a timeline of seven to nine weeks, barring any unforeseen issues.
The department had indicated demolishing the bridge was one of the options it was considering, though said that would take around 12-14 weeks, plus another four to six weeks in November to set up a temporary bridge for road traffic once the marine season was over.
Ontario Morning9:48Layoffs for local businesses as the LaSalle Causeway remains closed
Nearly two months after the LaSalle Causeway was forced to close, a number of commercial ships and vessels remain stranded in the inner harbor. Daniel Beals is the Operations and Human Resources for St. Lawrence Cruise Lines. He spoke with host Molly Thomas about how the local businesses are feeling the effect.