The Queen Street bridge is reopening with a weight restriction this Saturday, June 8, following its unexpected closure in April due to safety concerns.
Regular two-way traffic will have access with the previously signed 10-tonne weight limit in place, a Town of Newmarket news release said.
The bridge had been closed "out of an abundance of caution" for an in-depth structural analysis, the town said.
"This careful decision to reopen the bridge was taken after the town consulted with a second independent structural engineering firm that undertook a more comprehensive and quantitative assessment with structural modelling to compare it to the original inspections, which were based on visual qualitative observations only," the release stated.
The second assessment found that the bridge has enough structural core capacity and redundancy to allow for it to reopen to regular traffic under the previous weight restriction. The bridge be inspected every month to ensure it continues to be safe, the town stated.
"The Town of Newmarket would like to thank all residents for their patience during this brief but necessary closure."
Background on the Queen Street bridge project
The Queen Street bridge is scheduled to be fully replaced in 2025 due to its age and condition. Since 2021, the town has been conducting regular inspections to monitor and maintain the bridge for public safety, along with a signed 10-tonne weight restriction to discourage use of the bridge by heavy truck traffic.
Despite the weight restriction, heavy trucks were still using the bridge, which prompted the town to close it last April, as recommended by the town’s structural engineer, to ensure the safety of all bridge users. During this brief closure, the town sought out a second independent structural engineering firm for a more comprehensive assessment to compare it with the town’s original findings.
Currently, Bell Canada continues to complete utility work, which involves cable placing and the splicing of wires on Queen Street. This work is expected to be completed by the end of the year with minimal disruptions to the public. Relocation of the utilities will allow the placement of the bridge deck to commence in early spring 2025.
For future updates and more information, please visit HeyNewmaket.ca/QueenBridge.