For Peterborough residents already concerned about traffic issues in East City, things are about to get a lot more complicated.
Parks Canada has announced the Maria Street Swing Bridge will be closed for around a year starting Monday, December 7 so that it can be replaced.
The bridge, which connects Maria Street to Ashburnham Drive, is a popular route through East City.
Maria Street will be closed to through traffic at the swing bridge during construction, resulting in a number of detours.
The tunnel under the Peterborough Lift Lock, which connects Ashburnham Drive to Hunter Street East, will be closed to westbound traffic. Only eastbound traffic on Hunter Street East will be allowed through the tunnel.
In addition, the southbound lane of Ashburnham Drive from the tunnel north to MacFarlane Street will be closed. Only northbound traffic will be allowed on that section of Ashburnham Drive to access MacFarlane Street, in order to travel west across the MacFarlane Street bridge to get to Armour Road.
MacFarlane Street will be closed to eastbound traffic at the MacFarlane Street bridge.
PDF: Roadway Traffic Detour Plan – Maria Street Closure at Swing Bridge
Roadway Traffic Detour Plan - Maria Street Closure at Swing Bridge
Additional local road restrictions will be in place during construction, and trucks over four tonnes will have to follow the designated alternate truck route. That route, which avoids East City entirely, redirects trucks to Parkhill Road West to Reid Street.
“Parks Canada is working closely with the City of Peterborough to coordinate traffic diversions and minimize impacts on emergency services and public transit,” reads a Parks Canada media release issued on Friday (October 30). “Motorists should allow extra travel time and exercise caution near construction areas.”
Navigation on the Trent-Severn Waterway will not be affected by the bridge replacement project, and the Trans Canada Trail multiuse pathway crossing Lock 20 – Ashburnham, located beside Rogers Cove, will remain open and will be maintained throughout the winter, including a path to safely access Ashburnham Drive.
The closure of the Maria Street Swing Bridge for a year coincides with the construction of a 17-storey high-rise building in East City on Hunter Street East just west of Mark Street. Active construction on that development started earlier this week, with neighbouring residents already complaining about the disruption to local traffic.
Parks Canada first announced the planned closure of the Maria Street Swing Bridge in February, as part of a multi-year infrastructure project along the Trent-Severn Waterway that includes rehabilitation of earth dams along the canal, sealing of leaks in the Peterborough Lift Lock, and the complete replacement of the bridge
The federal agency says the 61-year-old Maria Street Swing Bridge is due for a complete replacement. While interim repairs have been made to maintain traffic, key components are too deteriorated for long-term rehabilitation.
Parks Canada says the new bridge, when completed, will have the same two-lane and single-sidewalk structure and will closely resemble the existing bridge. However, the replacement bridge will be constructed of modern-grade steel that will result in an increased load rating, meaning the current load limitation posting will be removed.
