The Town of Newmarket is closing down the Queen Street Bridge immediately due to rapid deterioration.
The municipality said the bridge over the railway tracks will be shut down after a site inspection by the town’s structural engineer. While a replacement of the bridge was planned for 2025, that closure schedule is getting pushed up due to the condition of the bridge.
“The Town of Newmarket apologizes for the inconvenience and short notice on the closure; however, public safety is the town’s top priority,” the municipality said in a news release today.
Construction at the bridge has been ongoing for a couple of years, with utility work throughout 2023 and planned for 2024. That was supposed to lead into the town replacing the bridge starting in spring 2025, with a closure planned at that point for potentially a full year to allow for the construction.
But the closure was pushed up due to the bridge’s usage, the municipality said. To maintain public access onward from 2022, the town recommended a 10-ton load restriction with signage indicating the load limit.
“The Queen Street bridge has continued to see heavy truck traffic despite the load posting and has now deteriorated more rapidly than expected,” the municipality said. “As a result, the structural engineer has advised the town to close the Queen Street bridge immediately for public safety.”
The town is maintaining required local access for homes and businesses in the area, however, traffic will have to use detours rather than cross the bridge.
The municipality is changing its construction plans in light of the early closure. The town said it is investigating options that could allow for a safe, temporary reopening of the bridge between now and the planned closure in 2025. The town is also looking to accelerate tendering and permitting that could allow for construction to happen sooner.
“Thank you for your patience and understanding as we complete this important work to ensure the Queen Street bridge is safe for all to use,” the municipality said.
For further information, you can visit heynewmarket.ca/queenbridge.
