Owen Sound’s 10th Street Bridge has officially reopened.
It opened to traffic after a small ribbon cutting ceremony with senior City staff as well as councillors in attendance, though the public was asked not to attend because of pandemic related restrictions.
The bridge has been closed for reconstruction and infrastructure replacement since September, 2019. Work included adding a wide, accessible sidewalk and multi-use trail.
“This is a great day, finally getting that bridge open after so many months of construction,” says Mayor Ian Boddy.
He adds, “On June 21st, we’ll do the name dedication. That will be a bigger ceremony,” noting “We’re trying to get the bridge open as soon as we can and get some traffic through it.” The June 21st event (National Indigenous People’s Day) will be held to officially name the bridge as the Gitche Namewikwedong Bridge. The name means Great Sturgeon Bay, which was the name of Owen Sound and the bay in the Anishinaabemowin language before contact between settlers and Indigenous ancestors.
Boddy notes, it will take time to put various detour routes back to their pre-construction states, “That’s going to be weather permitting and also we’re going to have to change some of the painted lines on the road, so that’s going to take us a while. The first step is just getting 10th Street cleared off and getting it open.”
“I think everybody’s pretty happy. We cannot thank enough the community for their patience and certainly the business community, especially downtown that have been waiting for this. It’s harmed business over the last year.”
He says, “In a sense we’re lucky that COVID hit while we’re doing the bridge and it didn’t happen two years running and really hurt things,” adding,”I really encourage everyone to get downtown and get out and get shopping. Put your mask on, wash your hands and don’t use that bridge as an excuse not to support businesses in the community.”
Boddy says, “I think when you see the bridge you’re going to be amazed at how much wider it is, and it’s partly because on the old bridge…the walking bridge, was a separate part and there was a separate railing. So the sidewalks are a little bit wider and a little parkette will be on the one corner of it, and it’s just a little bit bigger which is nice.”
In July 2019, city council approved an $8.68-million tender for the construction of a new bridge. The entire project is expected to cost around $9.3-million when factoring in other expenses such as consulting and engineering costs, according to a past Bayshore Broadcasting report.
