The new and improved J. Ben Corke Footbridge is now open.
Mayor Mitch Panciuk, members of city council and members of the project were on hand to cut the ribbon, opening the bridge.
Also known as the Catharine Street Pedestrian Bridge, the new bridge crosses the Moira River and connects the City of Belleville’s west end to downtown Belleville.
The original bridge was dedicated to former Belleville Mayor J. Ben Corke who served from 1975-1980.
The project faced several delays on the road to completion, but outgoing Mayor Mitch Panciuk says it’s a huge relief to have this project done.
“This has been a ridiculous project in terms of delays,” Mayor Panciuk tells Quinte News.
“Every time we started to get some traction there were more delays. The federal government delayed this for a long, long time, and not even allowing us to start construction. Then we had COVID. Then we had the pressures of inflation, but to see it open today finally, it’s a long time coming and it’s a wonderful feeling.”
Mayor Mitch Panciuk speaking at ceremony for the opening of new J. Ben Corke Footbridge (Photo: Zach McGibbon/Quinte News)
Preliminary plans for the bridge were first brought forward to city council in 2016 with a detailed design completed in 2018.
“I think it’s constructed in the same type of design as our upper and lower bridges,” Panciuk said when asked about the design.
“It’s that 1930s/1940s structure of bridge that is sometimes a little bit more expensive to maintain, but it’s distinctive to Belleville. This bridge, now with the metal arches, is consistent with that and I think it looks great.”
Wide shot of new J. Ben Corke Footbridge. (Photo: Zach McGibbon/Quinte News)
Because of the delays, construction of the new bridge didn’t begin until July 2021.
Funding for the bridge came primarily from the Government of Canada’s Canada Community Building Fund, also known as the federal Gas Tax Fund.
The total cost of the project is estimated to be around $4.1 million.
