Work continues on the 10th Street Bridge replacement in Owen Sound on the evening of Sept. 15, 2020. (Matt Hermiz/Bayshore Broadcasting)
It will be an early holiday surprise for drivers in and around Owen Sound.
The City has announced that the 10th Street Bridge will re-open to traffic at approximately 4:00pm on Friday, December 11th. The reopening will follow a short reopening ceremony with members of Council and city staff. Members of the public are not permitted to attend the ceremony due to COVID-19 gathering restrictions.
Detour route paving markings and signs will remain in effect until they can be removed as weather permits, and Owen Sound Transit’s Core and Brooke bus routes will return to their regular routes as of Monday, December 14th.
The new 10th Street Bridge will be dedicated as Gitche Namewikwedong Bridge at an official ceremony on June 21st, 2021, National Indigenous People’s Day. 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.
City council approved an $8.68-million tender for the construction of a new bridge in July 2019. 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.
The project must be complete by March 31, 2021 for the city to maintain eligibility for a $3-million grant from the Ontario government’s Connecting Links program.
The 10th Street Bridge closed in October 2019 for the commencement of the replacement project. The old bridge was built in 1911 and served as the main connecting link across the Sydenham River for provincial highways 6 and 21.
It was tabbed for replacement due to its deteriorating condition.