Drivers in St. Catharines can expect some delays as construction crews reduce traffic to one lane at the St. Paul West Street Bridge.
Starting tomorrow, traffic over the bridge will be reduced to one lane after an inspection showed increased deterioration.
Officials say by reducing traffic to one lane, they can extend the life of the bridge and ensure that the bridge remains open for vehicle and pedestrian traffic while taking some pressure off the structure.
While St. Paul Street between Pelham Road and Louth Street will remain open, a detour will be put in place for Pelham Road to Louth Street, and Great Western Street will be temporarily converted to one-way traffic northbound.
A temporary traffic signal will be placed on both the east and west sides of the bridge.
All businesses in the area remain open.
Load restrictions will be put in place for the bridge and all trucks (with the exception of emergency vehicles) must use the posted detour route.
The St. Paul West Street Bridge is scheduled for replacement in 2023, with construction activities anticipated to begin in the spring of 2023.
The detour will remain in place until the construction of the new bridge is complete.