Parks Canada is advising the public to expect traffic interruptions at the Kirkfield Lift Lock from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. this week (May 13 to 17).
A crane will be on-site for final repairs at the Kirkfield Lift Lock in advance of the Trent-Severn Waterway’s navigation season, which opens on May 17.
“We expect to be able to maintain both lanes of traffic flow on Kirkfield Road (County Road 6), although traffic controls, including flaggers and signage, will be in place as needed,” reads a Parks Canada media release.
In September 2022, the Kirkfield Lift Lock site was closed due to a mechanical failure. While repairs progressed, Parks Canada implemented single chamber lockages during the 2023 season.
For the 2024 navigation season, new chamber gates have been fabricated and installed and major mechanical components are all in place. Final testing has continued throughout the month of May.
Constructed from 1900 to 1905, the historic Kirkfield Lift Lock is located a few kilometres north of the Village of Kirkfield. After the Peterborough Lift Lock, it is the second highest hydraulic lift lock in the world with a lift of 15 metres (49 feet). The lock is situated at the highest point along the Trent-Severn Waterway at 256.20 metres (840.5 feet) above sea level.
