While the Third Street Bridge will not reopen as planned this week, it hasn’t dissuaded Chatham-Kent residents from celebrating anyway.
Bridgerama Day 2022 will be moving ahead as planned this Saturday on King Street West from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The event was originally intended as a celebration of the bridge’s reopening in downtown Chatham.
“The municipal official ribbon cutting and opening ceremony is cancelled [on Friday], but we’re good to go on Saturday as planned,” said organizer Clair Culliford.
The event will feature performers, crafters, painters, writers, and more. For younger attendees, there will also be a Children’s Fun Area.
Chatham-Kent Town Crier George Sims will also be downtown for the event to announce the start of each performance. And Mayor Darrin Canniff will kick off Bridgerama with an opening ceremony at 11 a.m.
The bad news about the bridge reopening came earlier this week when the municipality announced that the pedestrian safety railings had not yet arrived on site, preventing the bridge from reopening safely. While the railings are one of the last remaining elements required to complete the year-long rehabilitation project, the contractor could not guarantee a future reopening date.
“It’s a very important bridge for Chatham… People will be [very] pleased when it’s finally open,” said Culliford.
The throw-back event is based on the three-day celebration that took place in 1962 to commemorate the first opening of the Third Street Bridge.
