Wallaceburg’s downtown walking bridge is now slated to open for pedestrian use ahead of the weekend.
The Municipality of Chatham-Kent has announced that the L.O. Stonehouse Memorial Walking Bridge will reopen on Friday at 4 p.m., including the lift span, which can be operated to allow for the passage of larger boats. LED accent lighting has also been added to the bridge railings to illuminate the structure at night.
The downtown bridge, originally built in 1910 and converted to a pedestrian crossing in 1983, has been shut down since November 2021 due to safety concerns.
Rehabilitation of the bridge began back in May, but work hit a snag that pushed the estimated reopening from July to sometime in August, casting doubt that it would be open in time for the town’s signature WAMBO event on August 9-10.
“I am thrilled to be able to say that the LO Stonehouse Bridge will be open for WAMBO,” said Mayor Darrin Canniff in a news release. “The team in Infrastructure and Engineering Services has been working tirelessly to bring this key pedestrian bridge back into use for the people of Wallaceburg.”
The bridge will remain open for the weekend but will be closed again from August 12 at 7 a.m. until August 16 at 4 p.m. for paint touch-ups to be made to the bridge’s coating.
