$13.8-million Forks Road Bridge to open this summer
Welland closing up sections of landlocked Canal Bank Street
The $13.8-million bridge, connecting the east and west side of Dain City, is to open in August
Landlocked and no longer in use, sections of Welland’s Canal Bank Street will be closed up.
Grant Munday, the city’s director of planning and development, said that also means sections of the realigned road leading into Dain City will be legally opened up, though they’ve been in use for nearly a year.
Last week, a staff report from planning supervisor Taylor Meadows for city council recommended the closure of old sections of the road that are now part of a park called The Cove built by Empire Communities.
Empire pledged to realign Canal Bank from 500 metres south of Townline Tunnel Road to St. Clair Drive, before building a subdivision on the former John Deere property, one of two in south Welland.
With a 60-km/h speed limit, the realigned road features curves to slow traffic and has pull-off areas on the south side facing the new park and the Welland Recreational Canal.
Munday said the new sections had to be officially opened up by a bylaw to make them part of Canal Bank Street.
“So, it’s basically paperwork?” asked Ward 6 Coun. Bonnie Fokkens. Munday said yes.
Fokkens asked for an overview of when lights would be installed on the street, when a section of Kingsway, south of Forks Road, would be worked on, and the status of the new Forks Road Bridge.
Sheri-Marie Millar, director of infrastructure services, said the $13.8million bridge, connecting the east and west side of Dain City, is to open in August.
Though originally scheduled to open at the end of this month, last November city councillors were told Rankin Construction would pause work in the winter months.
“Canal Bank lighting, we’d like to see that happen sooner than later, but the hiccup we have right now is hydro trying to get a permit from the railway to pass over the (train) bridge. Hopefully, we’ll get that soon,” said Millar. She said the work on Kingsway will be put to tender this fall.
Fokkens said there is some concern that there are no dedicated bike lanes on Canal Bank and no direct path leading to Empire Sportsplex at Welland International Flatwater Centre on Townline Road.
Cyclists and pedestrians used a former gravel road on the east bank of the recreational canal as a way to travel north, but that area was closed off when the road was realigned.
Sidewalks will be installed on Canal Bank as work continues in the area.