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KINGSTON, ONT. — A $1.7 million contract has been awarded to Priestly Demolition Inc. of King, Ont., for the immediate demolition and removal of the Bascule bridge structure in Kingston, Ont. 

Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) “urgently conducted a limited tendering process for the demolition and removal of the Bascule bridge” recently and anticipates work will begin this week.

The LaSalle Causeway in Kingston has been fully closed since early April. An incident occurred March 30 where an element of the bridge was compromised during construction. No one was injured or harmed in the incident but the impact has been felt by causeway users and cruise operators with no firm timeline decided for reopening.

“The channel for marine navigation is expected to reopen within the month,” PSPC states. “We will provide more details shortly with respect to specific timelines for marine access once known.”

Working with the City of Kingston, PSPC is also hashing out a plan to reinstate access for vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians using a temporary modular bridge solution.

“Simultaneously, preparations are underway to begin preliminary design work for a new replacement bridge,” PSPC adds.