Kitchener bridge could be demolished next month

CTV’s Karis Mapp has details on the planned demolition of Kitchener’s Frederick Street Bridge.

A bridge in Kitchener could be demolished in December as part of the province’s plan to build a long-promised four-lane highway between Kitchener and Guelph.

In a social media post, Kitchener Councillor Scott Davey said work to remove the Frederick Street bridge would start on Dec. 6. A website that appears to include details for the project also listed the demolition date as “tentatively scheduled” for Dec. 6, weather permitting.

The bridge must be removed to allow crews to widen Highway 7, which runs directly under the structure.

The Minister of Transportation, Prabmeet Sarkaria, announced last month a permit had been obtained from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, allowing the project to move forward. He called it “a huge milestone.”

The Highway 7 expansion was first promised more than three decades ago.

The plan was to build the new highway just north of the current route. The idea regained momentum in 2007 when Donna Cansfield, who was then the Liberal Minister of Transportation, said, “Times have changed, now it’s time to change Highway 7.”

Since then, there has been incremental progress, most notably the completion of the Victoria Street Bridge in 2018.

Then, in 2020, the Progressive Conservative party officially committed funding to the project, but specific details were sparse.

During the 2022 provincial election, Progressive Conservative leader Doug Ford said his government would pursue the expansion if his party was re-elected. Despite remaining in power, that promise has not yet been fulfilled.

A statement from the Ministry of Transportation in 2023 said they were working on a preliminary design and obtaining the required approvals for Phases 2 and 3.

Last month, Sarkaria explained the next step was to obtain a tree-clearing permit that would enable construction, mainline and other bridge work.

CTV News contacted the Ministry of Transportation for confirmation on the demolition schedule. In an email, they stated it would proceed in December.

The email also said the demolition would require one full overnight closure of the highway and a full closure of Frederick Street. There will also be long-lasting lane closures on the highway throughout the construction.