With the Third Street Bridge expected to remain closed for an additional three weeks, a local event celebrating the bridge’s reopening has been delayed as well.
Bridgerama Day 2022 is now tentatively being held on July 23, one day after the bridge is expected to reopen to the public.
The Municipality of Chatham-Kent announced on Thursday that a province-wide strike involving heavy equipment operators in May delayed the pouring of the concrete bridge deck. The bridge was initially expected to open on or before June 30.
Bridgerama Organizer Clair Culliford said he was initially worried about the delay, however, he’s confident the event will take place come hell or high water.
“We had to plan it so that it was a celebration of the opening. But if the bridge is completely opened, partially opened, not open, or fallen down, we’ll just have to go with that,” he said.
However, Culliford said he’s hopeful the Third Street Bridge does in fact open on the newly announced date.
“I think it was a good idea to make the chance because it makes more sense to [celebrate] a bridge reopening when the bridge is actually open,” he said. “Once this is open, hopefully, there won’t be any changes for another 30 years.”
Organized by the Historic Downtown Chatham-BIA, Bridgerama Day 2022 is based on a three-day celebration that took place in 1962 to commemorate the first opening of the Third Street Bridge.
The event in July will feature music and other performances, sales, fun for children, booths with handmade and homegrown items, a bridge walkover, a boat sail-by, and a treasure hunt.
