Belleville Mayor Mitch Panciuk, members of City Council and Bay of Quinte MPP Todd Smith were among those at Argyle Park Friday morning celebrating the completion of the Sagonaska Bridge rehabilitation project.
Work on the bridge that carries Pinnacle Street over the Moira River began in 2020.
Repairs included fixing girder ends, replacing the expansion joints, sidewalks and barriers, and adding new waterproofing and asphalt.
Mayor Panciuk applauded the work of Clearwater Structures, noting they completed the project ahead of schedule and under budget.
“I mean, it’s the busiest bridge that the City of Belleville is responsible for. But it was also a difficult bridge to rehabilitate because of how much traffic’s on there and I thought Clearwater did an amazing job on it.”
Panciuk says people should notice similar themes in all of the city’s major entry points.
“Whether it be the Bay Bridge and the municipal park that was across the railroad tracks. Whether it be Bell Boulevard, the Veterans Bridge and this one. They all have similar features, they all look like they match in and I think it connects the whole city together. So, you know, it was important for us that it be not just be done from a functional point of view but that we do improve the way the city looks.”
Three million dollars, or 90% of the funding for the project came from the provincial government’s Connecting Links Program.
MPP Smith says it was money well spent.
“When you enter into a community the infrastructure is quite often the first thing you see and making sure that that infrastructure is in good shape and is also beautiful is important and welcoming. And it makes a good first impression on not just the people who live here but the people who visit Belleville as well. So good job by everybody involved in this project.”
This was the first rehabilitation work on the bridge since its original construction in 1978.
Sagonaska Bridge, Belleville, Ontario. (Photo: Quinte News/Alana Cameron)
