More room at the Liverpool bridge

Region of Queens Municipality Director of Engineering and Works, Brad Rowter says during a provincial election in 1978 the provincial government installed the railings at the request of a resident with children who were using the bridge to get to school.

Now, since children primarily use the bus, the bridge is being restored to its original design.

“This will provide additional width for pedestrian traffic.” The increase is about a foot.

However, after council asked him to determine if provincial regulations permitted the Region to widen the sidewalks, he discovered, “the bridge is right on for heavy truck traffic so we can’t widen the sidewalk.”

He adds anyone concerned with safety must realize, “It’s no different than any sidewalk on any public street. You do not have railings separating pedestrians from the travel lanes.”

The outer railings near the water will be replaced, the sidewalk repaired and a concrete overlay applied as well. The work will begin in Oct.

Region of Queens Municipality representative, Counc. Susan MacLeod has been helping, along with council, lobby the Department of Transportation for repairs for at least the past three years for both “safety and aesthetic reasons,” she says.

“It’s a main throughway and should be maintained on a consistent basis.” She adds the sight lines from Henry Hensey Drive will be improved as well when the inner railings are removed.

Rowter agrees. “It won’t eliminate the view plane obstruction but it will help it.”

The project is cost-shared with the provincial government. Council increased the Region’s expected input by $27,700 earlier this month to deal with rising steel prices.