Bridge tensions ease with new detour, pedestrian information
Caroline Gravel, Director of the City of Sherbrooke’s Urban Infrastructure Division, says that Glenday Road will be at least partially open to traffic when the time comes for the Bishop’s Bridge to close this summer. The city received confirmation yesterday afternoon that the work will begin June 23 with one week of alternating traffic before closing completely for six weeks of reconstruction work.
“People will be able to pass,” Gravel said. “The two will not be closed at the same time; that is certain.”
The Urban Infrastructure Director explained that although part of Glenday is currently closed in connection with the work on the Huntingville water connection, the road will not be closed to all traffic for long. This, she said, will make it a viable option over the eight week period when College Street is partially or completely closed for the reconstruction of the Bishop’s Bridge.
“The window for doing work is very short, so it is certain that the work will start during the eight weeks,” Gravel said, although she did not clarify when the projects on Galt East, Bowen South, and St-francis will begin. “We will advise the citizens of where to go to get where they want to be. We do not want to send drivers from one detour right into another.”
Lennoxville Borough President David Price added that the city now also has confirmation that pedestrians will be
able to cross the bridge throughout the summer.
“We will have a pedestrian crossing” Price said, expressing confusion about why the transport ministry has not made the information public in light of the obvious concern expressed in the community over the accessibility of the Bishop’s campus over the summer.
Based on the timeline provided to the city, the Borough President estimated that work on the bridge will continue until around the 21 of August. Price has previously remarked that the possible end date of August 18 was “cutting it close” with regard to the start of the school year at Champlain College.