Following several delays, Chatham’s Third Street Bridge is now expected to reopen early next month.
The bridge has been plagued with delays over the last year as it undergoes a $14 million rehabilitation project. Most recently, the span over the Thames River was expected to reopen with a ribbon cutting on July 22, but a supplier-related delay with the bridge’s railings made that impossible.
On Thursday, the Municipality of Chatham-Kent said shipments of the railings have begun to arrive and the contractor is working to install them in a timely manner. Installation is expected to continue through the month of August with completion anticipated in early September.
A reopening date will be announced at a later date once an accurate timeline can be established, the municipality said.
The Third Street Bridge has been closed since May 3, 2021. The crossing was initially expected to partially reopen to traffic this past November, however, the project was hit with multiple labour disruptions and supply shortages. A flood in September also caused delays due to a build-up of debris in the river.
